Bulldog
by spottedhorse
Summary: What happened after Genetic Disorder?
1. Chapter 1

A lot of people thought there ought to be more to Brass' apology after Genetic Disorder. That got me to thinking and this idea was born. I have three or four other stories in the works right now but this one is the one calling to me. Let me know what you think.

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><p>Judy Robbins sat in her kitchen sipping tea and chatting with her friend, Lori Messing, when her doorbell rang. Her surprise when she opened the door and saw who stood on her porch was audible. "Jim? Ah…come in," she invited uncomfortably.<p>

Detective Jim Brass stepped into the house, also visibly uncomfortable. "I um, well…I talked to Al…" he started. Judy nodded and motioned for him to follow her into the living room. They were standing in the middle of the room, next to the sofa when Jim started talking again. "Like I said I talked to Al, but I thought I should come by and tell you…"

"Hello," another voice interrupted.

Judy shifted uneasily in her spot. "Oh Lori, I'm sorry. This is…"

"Jim Brass," he interceded. "I work with Al."

"I'm Lori Messing. You work with Al… at the morgue?" Lori asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Well not exactly…I'm a detective." Jim explained. Then sighing, he looked across at Judy. "Maybe this isn't a good time," he said carefully.

"No, it's alright," Judy smiled. Then turning to Lori she asked, "could you give us a minute?"

Lori looked from one somber face to the other, her face flushing slightly, and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go pour myself another cup of tea," she said as she headed back to the kitchen.

Turning her attention back to Jim, Jim smiled wanly. "Would you like some tea? And please, do sit down."

"Ah no, thanks though. This will only take a minute. Like I said, I talked to Al. But I wanted to talk to you too. I um…well, I guess I came across pretty hard during the investigation. You were a suspect and…well, I was doing my job. But I am sorry that I jumped to conclusions…about an affair, I mean, before we had a chance to do a little investigating. I'll be honest, I walked in your bedroom and saw…" he swallowed heavily, "what I saw and my first thought was an affair."

"Al told me you had apologized to him. And I do appreciate that you came by, Jim. Its easy to understand why you thought what you thought, but… I'll be honest; I didn't appreciate your treatment."

Jim shrugged and smiled self consciously. "Most suspects don't. And actually, after Al gave me what for in my office, I was treading a little lighter than usual. But I like I told Al, I was wrong for jumping to conclusions before looking at the evidence. And I'm sorry."

Judy studied the man standing in front of her intensely. He stood stubbornly, entrenched in his spot, his fidgeting fingers the only outward sign of his discomfort. But she could see his remorse in his eyes and she knew he was sincere. "You don't apologize very often, do you Jim?"

He sighed and grinned awkwardly. "No, I don't."

"I can tell because you're not very good at it. Don't misunderstand," she said as he shifted to respond. "I know you mean it. But, you're not comfortable admitting that you are wrong."

Jim's shrug was barely noticeable. "Don't know many people who are, do you?"

Judy laughed. "No, I don't. But thank you…for coming by and for your apology. The whole thing has been…"

"Ugly?" He offered.

"Yes. And you coming here today; it helps."

"Okay, well… I'd better get back. And um, thank you."

"For what?" Judy asked, surprised.

"Not slamming the door in my face," he said as he walked out.

"You're welcome, Jim." Judy closed the door and shook her head in amazement. She'd known Jim Brass for years and she and Al had socialized with him at department functions. He'd even come to a couple of their dinner parties. Al and Jim often were at odds with one another but she knew Al respected the detective and counted Jim among his friends. Knowing all that she knew about him made his visit today a real surprise.

"Who's the bulldog?" Lori asked from the doorway to the kitchen.

"What? Bulldog?" Judy asked as her friend's question brought her out of her musings.

"That man? Jim Brass?"

"Oh yeah. Like he said, he works with Al."

"Right. But that doesn't explain him showing up on your doorstep in the middle of the day."

"Uh no. He was the detective handling the case when…"

"Oohh…" Lori drawled as she caught on. "And you let him in the house?"

"He was doing his job, Lori. I was a suspect and he had to ask questions."

"So did you make him grovel?" Lori asked mischievously.

Judy laughed. "You don't know Jim Brass. He doesn't grovel."

Lori smiled. "He's kind of cute actually, in a bulldog kind of way."

"Yeah well, be careful. That bulldog has one hell of a bite."

"Still…" Lori said thoughtfully.

It wasn't difficult for Judy to know where her friend's mind was going. "Be careful, Lori…in fact, don't even think about going there. Jim Brass was quite the player in his day and while I imagine he's slowed down a bit, he's not the long term type."

"Maybe he just hasn't met the right person," Lori teased.

"Al says he was married before he came here. Says it must've been really bad because Jim never has anything nice to say about his ex but it is evident that it still hurts, even after all these years. Al thinks some of Jim's reaction to the case was because he didn't want to see Al hurt the way he was."

"So, he's loyal?" Lori asked.

From the stories I've heard, he can be the best friend you could ever ask for…or the very worst enemy. But Lori, seriously, after everything you went through with Dave, do you really want to go fishing in troubled waters?"

Lori sighed. "You're probably right. But still, there's something about him…"

"Get over it," Judy advised.

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><p>I wasn't going to post until I had it completely wriiten because I'd had so many computer fiascos with Dum Spiro. But I got impatient and decided to go ahead and start posting. Some of the chapters will be short, some longer. I do hope you enjoy!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone is always posting disclaimers. I think it should be obvious that if I owned anything about CSI and the character of Jim Brass, I wouldn't be posting stories here, lol.

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><p>Time had a way of running together, Jim mused as he walked through the doors of the casino club. It seemed like one day just blended into another…and another. Briefly he wondered if it was because he was getting older or if his life had become that predictable. It was his night off, so of course he would spend it here. There were worse fates; after all, he'd met some very nice ladies at this place. But the whole Vegas night scene was wearing thin, just didn't have the appeal it held when he'd first moved to the city. Still, being predictably here was better than sadly alone at home.<p>

He had interests, things to do. And some days they were enough. But lately, well…things were always more fun if there was someone to share them with. Jim Brass wasn't the most sociable guy on the block, but he wasn't a loner either. Sometimes he needed the company of another human being. Tonight was one of those times. So here he was, siding up to the bar for a drink, his eyes scanning the room for someone that he could maybe connect with, even if only for a few hours. Hugging a woman he'd only known a few minutes was a damn site better than hugging the damned pillow.

Halfway across the room he spotted his mark. She looked to be in her forties, pretty, dark hair, no ring on her finger, and as she sat at her table, definitely bored. So either she came with other women who'd found some male company or her date had left her alone for far too long. Either way, Jim had a feeling his night was about to get more interesting.

"Hi," he said cautiously as he moved to her table.

She looked up, startled. "Hello," she replied carefully.

"Uh, mind if I sit?" Jim asked, motioning to the empty seat across from her.

"I don't know you," she responded timidly.

"No, you don't. But I'd like to change that," he tried again. _Damn this is getting harder…_

She shrugged. "Why?"

That caught Jim by surprise. "What?"

"Why do you want to change that?" She looked miserable all of a sudden.

"Look, I'm sorry if I'm upsetting you. I just thought…I dunno, you're here by yourself and…" It was Jim's turn to shrug. "Just thought we could pass the time…"

A large huff escaped her. "I'm sorry. You're not upsetting me…exactly. It's just…" Taking another deep breath, she motioned to the chair. "Yes, please…sit."

After settling in the chair, Jim glanced at her glass. "You're empty. What are you drinking?"

"Hmm? Oh, um…" her face flushed a little. "JD."

Jim was impressed. "Straight?"

"Is there any other way?" she replied, her eyes lightening up.

Jim grinned. "I guess not." Then waving the server over, he ordered more drinks for them.

"So, I'm Jim Brass."

"Brass?" She chuckled. "Unusual name…"

"Yeah… I suppose."

She was still smiling. "I'm Nancy Williams."

_Shit, another Nancy…_ "So how'd you end up here all alone, Nancy Williams?"

"You mean, 'what's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this' all alone, don't you?" She was teasing him now.

"Well, now that you mention it…"

"The girls at the office convinced me to come with them. They all found guys to dance with and I've been sitting here most of the night watching them."

"No wonder you aren't having any fun," Jim commented. "Watching other people dance gets old after the first one or two. I'm not much of a dancer but if you don't mind the company, I'd like to stay awhile."

Her smile was warm and welcoming. "I think I'd like that too," she said as the server returned with their drinks.

"So office…where do you work?" Jim asked as she took a sip.

"Ferrell Industries, over on Industrial."

"Oh yeah, I think I know the building…" Jim offered.

"What about you?" she asked.

Jim rarely told new acquaintances about his job. Over the years he'd discovered that not everyone was eager to spend the evening with a cop. "I work for the city, nothing exciting," he provided.

"That's a load of crap," came from a voice over his shoulder.

Jim turned to see who was speaking but caught the look of total surprise from Nancy. "What?" he demanded form the woman standing behind him.

Work for the city…nothing exciting," the woman declared. "Boatload of crap, that's all."

"What do you know about it?" Jim barked.

"Don't remember me, do you?" the mysterious woman accused.

Jim's brows shot up. "Should I?" His brain was flipping through a mental file of all the perps and suspects he'd questioned who might be this woman. He was coming up blank.

"Judy?" She asked leadingly.

Jim frowned. "Judy?"

"Yeah, my friend Judy. You were at her house a couple of weeks ago…" He could see color rising in her face now.

The puzzle came together in Jim's head. This was Judy Robbins' friend, Lori…something. Quickly he glanced at Nancy who was watching curiously. "Oh yeah, I remember…" He wanted her to go away.

Nancy joined the conversation. "You two know each other?" Then looking straight at Jim, she added, "if you'd rather…I'll understand."

Smiling at her, he shook his head. "No, I wouldn't rather…" Then turning back to Lori, he snipped. "Nice seeing you again. Tell Judy I said hello." Then turning back to Nancy, he hoped Lori would go away. Judging by the direction of Nancy's eyes, however, he was sure that wasn't happening.

"He does work for the city," Lori supplied. "Just not the way you might think."

Nancy looked at him, confused.

"Go ahead, Jim. Tell her…"

Rolling his eyes, Jim shrugged. "I'm a cop," he admitted.

"Bummer, huh?" piped in Lori.

Jim huffed as Nancy giggled. "No actually, I think it is quite nice," she said.

Turning around again, Jim shot Lori a victorious smile. "Hear that? Quite nice. Now, I'm sure you have other people to go harass…"

"No actually, I don't," Lori replied. "My date found someone else."

"Wonder why?" Jim sighed.

"Look, you two seem to have things to talk about. So, I'm just going to call a cab and head on out," Nancy threw in.

"No, please…I don't even know Lori. She's friends with a friend of mine. And I'd rather get to know you."

"Yeah….Judy," Lori said meaningfully.

"And Al," Jim growled.

Okay," Nancy said. "But I'm still leaving. Thanks for the drink, Jim." In a flash, she was gone.

Jim slumped in his chair, defeated. Lori spoke up from behind, "Well that was a bust; didn't even get her phone number."

"Aren't you gone yet?" he asked sarcastically.

"Who me? Nope. I'm the gift that keeps giving," she quipped. "Oh wait, that should be your line. Sorry." She laughed. "Really, I'm like a moth to a light. You shine and I just show up."

"Well, go show up at someone else's table. I'm leaving too." Jim threw some bills out on the table and headed out. What had already been a bad night had gotten even worse.

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><p>Hope you found a little humor in their exchanges. I so love Brass when he gets snippy.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

I had a few minutes so I thought I'd go ahead and post this. It is short. I hope you enjoy.

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><p>"You're kidding, right," Jim Brass barked three days later when he showed up at a crime scene. Fincher, the uniformed cop who had called it in, was standing next to Lori Messing.<p>

Lori grinned and winked at Jim. "What can I say; I'm just a bad penny…"

"More like gum on my shoe," Jim growled. "So what's the story?" he asked Fincher.

"Got a call to this address for a disturbance. I knocked on the door but it was open. I called out but didn't get an answer so I walked in. Found the dead guy on the floor in the den. Called it in and then Ms. Messing showed up."

Jim turned to Lori. "You listening to the police bands now…just waiting for a crime?"

"No," she shrugged. "I came to get Snuggles."

His eyes widening, Jim snipped. "Well, you're not getting any snuggles from me."

"Snuggles is the dog," Lori huffed as tints of red spread over her face.

"There's a dog?" Jim asked, glancing at Fincher.

"In the back," Fincher affirmed.

"So you live here?" Jim asked Lori.

"Not anymore," she mumbled.

"But you know the dead guy?"

"I assume it's my ex, Dave."

Writing in his notebook, Jim blinked. "Your ex….so, Dave Messing?"

"Dave Nelson. I took back my maiden name when we split. It took a year and a lot of money to get rid of him. Didn't want him or his name."

"But you share the dog?"

"Not really. But Dave was going out of town so I said I'd keep Snuggles for him. She's about the only good thing from our time together."

"So you're not sorry he's dead…"

"I'm not," she agreed. After a deep sigh she grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I am, kind of…I didn't want him dead, just out of my life."

"Kind of," Jim grimaced. "What did he do?"

"He cheated…"

Jim nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, that'll kill a relationship".

"Oh the relationship was already in bad shape; I just didn't know why. Then I came home unexpectedly…"

"I get the picture," Jim told her, having lived it himself, he didn't need to hear the rest.

"Oh, it gets better….He invited me to join in. I'm not into threesomes, especially if his girly man was going to be doing him while he was doing me," she groused.

Stunned, Jim stood quietly, his eyebrows flinching as he tried to contain the laughter that beagn to threaten as a mental picture formed. He knew it wasn't very funny from her perspective….hell, from anyone's perspective. But on the other hand…

"Okay, okay…go ahead and laugh," she challenged. "But you wouldn't think it was so funny if it had been you."

"Well, my idea of a threesome is more about me having two women," he confessed.

She eyed him suspiciously. "You like fem on fem?"

"Uh…more like fem all over me," he mocked.

"And you've found willing participants or is this just your secret fantasy?" she taunted.

Winking, Jim smirked. "I don't kiss and tell."

Lori stepped back, sizing him up appreciatively. "You're one of the few men I've met that could really handle it."

"Thanks," he grinned triumphantly, wondering how this conversation had gotten to be about his sex life.

Holding her hand up to silence him, she added. "But I doubt it's ever happened."

Jim snarked, "What? You just said I could handle it…"

"Yeah, but I don't think you're the type that shares easily."

"Well, right now I need you to share your contact information," he shot back. "In case we need to ask more questions…"

"Some guys will go to any lengths to get a girl's number," she huffed as she took the pad and pen he offered.


	4. Chapter 4

Another short little blurb. Next week is going to be crazy so I don't know if I'll be able to post any. I want to get as much finished this week as I can before having to take the break.

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><p>Jim Brass sat at his desk, finishing the last of his reports. The Nelson case had wrapped a few hours earlier. Nelson's "girlie man" as Lori had described the other man had murdered Nelson in a lover's quarrel. It had taken only a few minutes in the interrogation room with the guy to get a confession, but thanks to the thorough job from the CSIs, they had him even without the confession.<p>

The day shift had handled this one. As Jim had watched them going about their tasks, he had reflected on how much better that team operated now that Conrad Ecklie was no longer their supervisor. But he still preferred to work with the grave shift, even if it meant dealing with Moonbeam. Catherine and Nick were still there as well as Sanders. Sara had come back and Brody seemed to be fitting in nicely. He knew he could count on them to get things right without him having to do much in the way of follow up.

The surprisingly quiet sound of Doc Robbins' cane brought Jim out of his musings. Looking up, he smiled at the coroner. "Al, what brings you to my side of the world?" Jim greeted. The two had often clashed on cases, but he respected Al Robbins. They had evolved into an easier camaraderie, friendship even. But Al Robbins seldom came to Jim's office. If he did, usually it meant trouble.

"Jim," Robbins nodded. "I um…well, this isn't business…"

"Okay," Jim said as he motioned for the doctor to take a chair across from him. "What is it then? Somehow I don't think you're here for the Scotch in my drawer."

Al Robbins smirked at Jim. "No, but it might not be a bad idea…except we're both still technically on the clock."

Jim grinned. "True. But only for a few more minutes…"

"Look Jim," Al began. "I um…I don't want to overstep here but…" Al paused, clearly uncomfortable.

Concerned, Jim leaned forward in his chair. "What is it Doc? You usually don't have any problems letting me have it full force."

"It's just…this really isn't my business…"

Jim frowned. "Okay…"

"But Judy says you and Lori Messing met at our house and that you've been seeing each other."

Straightening up in his chair, Jim stared at the doctor for a moment. His brows furrowed as he considered how to respond. "We did meet when I went to talk to Judy. But I'm not seeing her…well, not like in dating. We ran into each other at a club a few weeks ago and then her ex was murdered and it was my case, so we talked some about that. But…"

Doc waived his hand. "Sorry…. I didn't explain it well. I know you aren't dating…that seeing each other meant just that; you've seen each other. Thing is, Judy says you made quite an impression on Lori. And men don't impress Lori much. Dave was the last straw for her."

"She told…how their marriage ended. I can understand why she's gun shy," Jim said as he remembered the woman. She was pretty, he realized. He hadn't really thought about it much before. About an inch shorter than him, she had light brown hair and light eyes. Her expression was almost always a happy one. One thing Jim remembered clearly was her tendency to blush over the slightest thing.

"Oh that's just the tip of the iceberg, Jim. He was an ass from the beginning. And there were…other events… in her life before. I'm not trying to say you'd be bad for her. In fact, if you were serious about her, it might be good for her. But I don't think she can take another disappointment."

Jim's eyes widened. "First place Doc, I'm not serious about her…haven't considered being anything about her. Seems to me that getting cozy with her would be like cozying up to sandpaper."

Al nodded. "Yeah, she's defensive."

"Well, she doesn't have to defend against me. I'm not going there."

AL nodded in acceptance. "Alright then. I wouldn't have said anything but Judy's been concerned and your name is just beginning to be acceptable in polite company, if you know what I mean. I didn't want Judy to have another reason to use Jim Brass as her version of obscenity."

Jim chuckled. "Yeah, she wasn't too pleased with me over the investigation. I um…well, I'm grateful she let me in that day….heard me out. I really am sorry that I let my past get in the middle of things."

"We both appreciate that Jim." Standing up, Doc added, "And I'll head back to the morgue. Just wanted to give you fair warning in case you were considering seeing Lori."

"Not a problem, Al. I just don't think serious is in my vocabulary anymore."

"It's a shame, Jim. You deserve happiness too."

"What can I say, Doc. We're not all as lucky as you."

"Damn," Jim swore to himself as he drove home. He hadn't really given Lori Messing much thought until Doc Robbins showed up in his office. Now he couldn't seem to get her out of his head. But he'd told the truth when he said he couldn't see them together. He liked women that could hold their own but she seemed to go out of her way to irritate him whenever they ran into one another. Last thing Jim wanted was a woman who felt more like a sparring partner than a dance partner… not that he danced much anymore.

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><p>I hope you are enjoying reading this one as much as I am enjoying writing it. It is beginning to just flow and the characters are taking over, lol. Poor Jim, he really is such a caring guy in so many ways but he just really doesn't trust the human race either.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

One more blurb before the chaos starts. Hope you enjoy...

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><p>"Hello again," she said from across the table of books he was perusing.<p>

Jim looked up into her green eyes. He frowned; he could have sworn they were blue the last time he saw her. "Yeah hello," he mumbled.

She moved around the end of the table to stand closer to him. "Oh…I'm sorry. Is your morning oatmeal not agreeing with you?"

Glaring at her, trying to understand what the hell she was talking about, Jim took a deep breath. "My what?"

"Well, obviously something is behind that frown on your forehead," she snipped.

He managed to stop his immediate response of 'you' before it left his mouth. "Just tired," he responded, recovering.

"Oh," she replied, backing down. "Rough night? ...at work I mean."

Taking another breath; _why_ _the hell was breathing all of a sudden so difficult, _he wondered; he stared into her unusually colored eyes. _They aren't really blue or green., somewhere in between… _he thought. "Um work, yeah…long night. Thought I'd pick up something to read and head home." _She really is a very nice looking woman…_

"Have you even _had_ breakfast? She asked with concern.

Pulling his eyes away from hers, he glanced down at the book he'd chosen. "No, I um…I was planning on a bowl of cereal when I get home."

"Look, there's this really great little eatery around the corner. And they do a fantastic breakfast. Why don't I buy you breakfast?"

She was sincere; he could see it in her expression. For some reason she was concerned about him. Usually he didn't like people worrying about him but occasionally it was nice. 'Why don't I buy us both breakfast," he countered.

"We'll go Dutch," she shot back with a smile.

"Okay, let me just pay for this book…"

Breakfast turned out to be a good idea. He was hungrier than he'd realized. She ate a muffin and had coffee. But he went for the buffet, filling his plate with selections he doubted his doctor would approve. She smiled when he settled back at the table, surveying his plunder with relish. "Thought you might need a little sustenance," she jibed.

Looking up from his plate at her, he smirked. "My doctor thanks you," he rejoined.

"Oh please," she drawled.

"What?" he asked wondering what she was objecting to this time.

"Your doctor has very little to complain about with you, I'm sure," she protested.

Unsure if she was complimenting him or just fishing for information, he hesitated. Finally, he shrugged. "Tell him that," he came back with caustically.

Immediately he regretted it because it seemed to give her an excuse to give him an appraising once over. He was gratified to see approval register in her expression. "You look healthy enough to me…" she rejoined. "Better than enough," she muttered under her breath.

Jim stared, doing a little appraising of his own. He could have more than what was on his plate for breakfast, he knew. She was willing; everything about her demeanor told him so. But Doc's warning resurfaced. Besides, he wasn't looking for anything long term and this wasn't the type of woman who wanted anything less, despite what she might be thinking at the moment. And even if he was looking for long term, she wasn't it. He'd had enough of going at it toe to toe with his ex. He wasn't looking to repeat the experience.

Deciding to play nice and then move on, he replied. "Yeah, well…for an old bald guy, I guess I'm okay."

She laughed…not a little chuckle but a loud heartfelt laugh. "Old, my ass," she shot at him. "A high forehead that seems to work for you but not bald…and better than okay." Quieting, she gave him a more serious look. "What? You don't realize how women see you?" she asked in response to his stunned look, her face turning a bright red.

"Door mat?" he shrugged, trying to defuse her commentary but fascinated with her blushing.

"I'd hardly put you in the doormat class," she chuckled. "I imagine you are a force to be reckoned with when you make up your mind to be."

Suddenly he felt like he should be the one blushing. She sure had a high opinion of him. And as he looked across the table at her still pink face, he realized she was growing on him. _This is not good, not good at all…_he told himself.

They spent the rest of breakfast talking about safer subjects. Jim couldn't help stealing a few glances at her eyes, which seemed to change color slightly as her emotions shifted over the various topics of conversation. And he got tickled when she blushed, finding himself purposefully trying to make it happen. By the end of the meal, he was fascinated with her and kicking himself for letting his guard down.

"I'll walk you to your car," he told her as they walked out of the restaurant.

"No need," she replied lightly. "It followed me here," she said as she pointed to a limo across the street.

"Whoa…" Jim was impressed. "I didn't realize…"

"Yeah well, I don't advertise it. People tend to get uptight when they realize I have a little money. You're not going to get uptight are you?" she asked as her eyes roamed the length of his body.

"Um…no…" he replied as her perusal caused a very definite tightening in his groin. "I just…" the way she was looking at him had him thinking he might start blushing. "It's just unexpected."

"I think I like you surprised. In fact, I think I'll work at it," she said as she quickly darted in, kissed his cheek and then took off for her car leaving Jim totally bewildered. _…not good at all…_

Jim found himself thinking about Lori more and more over the next few days. Mentally he would study her face, especially her eyes and mouth…that mouth that almost always seemed to have a little smile on it and those eyes that were only a spark away from laughter. Instinctively he understood that she was by nature a happy person, a major contrast to his jaded view of the world. As he considered that facet about her he realized that being around a happy person wasn't such a bad thing, as long as she wasn't too happy. People who were too happy all the time were hiding something, he'd decided long ago.

He rolled their conversations over and over in his head, especially the breakfast one. The barbs and jabs had turned to light hearted teasing and a more pleasant conversation. Granted, they hadn't discussed anything of importance or even remotely important but still…

And the way she'd looked him over as they stood outside… and her peck on his cheek. It was meant as a tease, he knew. And boy was it teasing him…

But he had no interest in a serious relationship. He'd been burned, no make that scorched and he wasn't opening himself to that again. Besides, he'd seen it played out at too many crime scenes; serious often led to deadly or someone wishing to be dead anyway. Nope, not for him. He was content picking up a little action here and there and going home to a new book and a good Scotch in between.

Or was he?


	6. Chapter 6

"Let me get this straight," Jim Brass said to Conrad Ecklie. "I have to attend this thing when I've never had to before. Why? Why this year?"

The Under-Sheriff sighed. "Hey, don't blame me, the Sheriff wants it. I don't know why this year…she just wants it."

"Do you have to go?" Jim asked, glaring at his superior.

"No, I don't…but that's…."

"Bullshit!" Jim exclaimed loudly enough that a couple of heads turned in the hallway outside his office. "Why me? Who else from the department is going to this thing?"

Conrad sighed again. "Jim, it's… just do it, okay?"

"Not okay," Jim huffed. "Who else?" he demanded.

"The Sheriff…"

"And?"

Conrad grimaced. "I think Watson from PR."

"And me? Why me? This is …wait, I'm not the Sheriff's date or something like that am I?"

"No Jim. She has a date, her husband. All I know is she came to my office and said I was to be sure you are there. That's all I can tell you. So just…go rent a tux and have a good time," Ecklie said as he waved off the detective and walked out of his office.

"What if I don't feel like having a good time?" Jim said gloomily as fell back more than sat back in his chair, a loud puff of air escaping his cheeks. "This is crap," he mumbled. "Why the hell…." Then after another deep sigh, he resigned himself to the inevitable. For whatever reason, he was attending the annual Clark County Charitable Agencies Dinner and Ball. "Shit," he mumbled, "I didn't ask if I could bring a date…" _Not that I have anyone to ask…_

Later that night, as he sat at his desk reading through a mountain of reports, his phone rang. "Brass," he said darkly as he picked up.

"Hey Jim, its Charlie Hanson."

"Oh hey, Charlie," Jim greeted as he leaned back in his chair. "What's going on?"

"Not much… Look I'll get down to it. We're putting together a team for the Guns and Hoses Hockey game. Several of the guys want you there again this year. I'm not sure why you skipped the past couple of years but I promised I'd try to get you back."

"I dunno Charlie, that's really something more for the younger guys, don't you think?"

"The younger guys want _you_, Jim. Look, tell you what…I'm coaching. You can be like a player-coach…be my assistant and then get in the game some, but only for as much as you want. How's that sound?"

"Let me think about it," Jim said, intrigued. "When is it anyway?"

Charlie told him the date and as he wrote it on his calendar Jim realized it was the night before the Ball. "Tell ya what, Charlie, I'll do it," Jim said hastily.

"Great Jim…that's really great. I'll send you a practice schedule."

"Yeah, sounds good Charlie."

As Jim put the receiver back in the cradle he smirked. _It'll serve 'em right if I show up at the Ball all beat up from the game,_ he thought. After considering the possibilities he grinned. _Besides, I still owe Ulrich payback for that high stick a couple of years ago_.


	7. Chapter 7

Something tells me that neither Paul Guilfoyle nor Jim Brass are passive on the ice. I hope you enjoy the game. And I really, really hope I got all the terminology right. I watch hockey and have for years, but I wouldn't claim to be a super fan or anything.

* * *

><p>The practices had gone well and tonight was the game. Joe Philpot, the Fire Captain from Henderson, was the coach for the Hoses. Jim knew the guy and the man knew his hockey. Jim was looking forward to taking on his team, both as a coach and a player.<p>

Charlie Hanson would do most of the coaching but Jim was willing to assist and had at the practices. While he'd put his skills against anyone of the guys on the ice tonight, he just couldn't skate as long or as hard as he used to. He would relish every second on the ice though.

They were all suited up. Hanson had decided on the starting five for the Guns. Jim was part of the second line. He'd always played first line before but he was content with his position. He'd get his shot, he knew. And he would relish his opportunities against Ulrich.

It didn't take long. Three minutes into the first period, while the teams were still feeling each other out, Geleske was skating along the boards with the puck, ready to pass it to Williams when Ulrich came out of nowhere with a vicious cross-check, slamming Geleske into the boards. Ulrich went to the box and Geleske came to the bench to get a cut treated and Jim was on the ice until Geleske was ready to come back.

They were in their own zone for most of the penalty, the Hoses doing an effective job of keeping them out of their zone. In frustration, Williams dumped the puck into the other zone. Everyone chased it but Freeman, one of the Hoses got to it first and sent it back into the Guns' zone. Since Jim had lagged behind, he was able to get to it quickly and was skating toward the center line when Ulrich came out of the box, straight at him.

Jim caught McMahon coming up on the weak side and Jim sent the puck his way with a flip pass. Ulrich skated past, nicking him with a high stick. That did it for Jim. Wanting to chase down Ulrich, he was huffing by this time and needed a break but he swore the next time on the ice, he was going to flatten Ulrich.

His chance came early in the second period. Ulrich was skating along the boards with the puck. Jim skated to him, body checking him at the blue line. Their sticks got tangled up but Jim was able to poke check the puck loose. Myers took it away, skating full speed towards the goal. Jim broke loose to follow when he felt the hook from behind. The stick caught him at his knee, taking him down unceremoniously. Ulrich started past him when Jim stuck his stick out, slashing wildly and feeling satisfaction when he felt it make contact sending Ulrich down too. The ref caught Jim's action after missing Ulrich's and Jim landed in the penalty box. Using every expletive in his vocabulary, Jim skated across the ice to the box, cursing Ulrich and swearing revenge.

Doc Samuelson came in to check his knee. "Thought I saw you favoring it when you came off," Doc told him.

"Yeah, a little," Jim agreed. "He caught me at the knee but I think it'll be okay."

"Alright Jim. But you're not as young as they are…don't push it too hard."

"Yeah, I hear you Doc," Jim nodded. "I'm just going to catch my breath here and then probably end up sitting the bench for the rest of the period anyway. But Jim was too worked up to sit the bench and spent the rest of the period on his feet, verbally pounding the glass and yelling at Ulrich every time he skated by. He wasn't winning any favors from the refs and it took Hanson and a couple of the younger guys to get him to at least stop yelling. He would be hoarse the next day, he knew. But it was worth it when he saw Ulrich miss a pass and Jokavitch pick it up and skate to the other end.

Midway through the third period the score was tied at one each. Geleske got tangled up with Smith from the Hoses and had to come off the ice again, sending Jim back out. "Sure is a rough game for charity," Jim groused as he skated out.

"Tell me 'bout it," Geleske called after him.

After the face off, Williams took the puck towards the blue line when Smith skated into him, sending him to the boards. Jim followed Smith in, stealing the puck. Skating as fast as he could, he headed to the other end, hoping Schuler would come up for a pass. Ulrich showed up instead attempting to poke check him. One thing knew for sure was that he was a better stick handler than Ulrich and he used his skills to avoid the steal. Instead, he skated across the front of the goal, using a wrist shot to send the puck to the net. He heard a clank as the puck hit the pipe. It rebounded and Williams was there, one touching it back to Jim who snap shot it in, right through the Five Hole. Jim didn't have time to celebrate however, as Ulrich skated right into him, sending him into the goalie as Ulrich used the opportunity to sweep check him, taking his feet out from under him. Jim heard a pop as both Jim and the goalie landed in the crease and a fight broke out over them. He heard the whistles, the ref call a major on Ulrich, the guys yelling at each other, but all Jim knew was that his knee felt like it had exploded.

Once the crowd over him cleared, he saw Doc Samuelson over him, grimacing. "You okay, Jim?"

Grinning, Jim shook his head negatively. "Sure Doc, this is a charity game. But I think my knee is blown.…" _And judging by the way my face feels, I'm going to have one hell of a shiner for the Ball._

As a couple of the guys helped him off, he caught sight of the Sheriff standing just off ice next to Ecklie. Both faces were grim. As he limped with Doc's help past them, he heard the Sheriff. "This doesn't get you out of the Ball, Jim. I expect to see you there tomorrow night."

"Yeah, sure…" Jim waved. _When hell freezes over…._


	8. Chapter 8

The ER was busy, as usual. Doc had driven Jim over after the game. "I don't like the way this looks," the doctor had told him as he checked out Jim's knee in the locker room. "And before you say anything, I'm sure as hell not letting you drive yourself anywhere."

"But Doc, really…"

"You're going to the hospital. We're gonna get a proper look at that knee," the Doc had insisted.

So Jim sat, not too patiently in the ER waiting room. Doc Samuelson was trying to get him in quicker but there's been a shooting about an hour earlier and three victims were critical. So Jim waited.

The detective part of him watched the activity with interest but inwardly, he was happy to not be working the case. If he was reading the unspoken clues correctly, PD would have a triple homicide by the end of the night.

Finally Doc came to get him, pushing a wheelchair. "Snagged this out of orthopedics," Doc told Jim as he helped him move from one chair to the other. "We're going back to get you checked out now. The ER doctor is going to take it from here, Jim. Since I retired from private practice, I've let my hospital privileges drop so I can't be the doctor of record here. But I am going to hang around and see that things go smoothly."

"Thanks Doc," Jim said with a grimace as he readjusted himself in the chair.

A few minutes later, the curtain to Jim's cubicle parted and a white coated woman stepped through. She was busy reading his chart so she didn't see Jim's shocked expression when he recognized her.

"Well Jim, I see you did this playing hockey. Pretty risky for an old bald guy, don't you think…playing hockey?" Lori Messing smirked as she looked over his chart at him, taunting him with his words from before.

"You're a doctor?" Jim grumbled, not taking the bait

After nodding affirmatively, she continued, "So what _were_ you doing playing hockey with a bunch of guys half your age?" as she began poking around his knee. "Good thing you kept the breezers on; makes it easier for me," she said lightly. "Keeps me from having to rip your pants off," she grinned as she began to move his leg.

"Hey, you want me outta my pants, all you gotta do is say so," Jim taunted through the grimace her prodding caused. "Wouldn't be the first time…Just be sure you're ready for what you might find."

"You two know each other?" Doc Samuelson asked from the corner.

"Yeah we do," Lori answered, sparing him a look. "You approved him playing?"

"I did," Doc huffed. "Jim can outplay most of 'em and he knows his limits."

Lori chuckled. "Apparently not."

"Now wait a minute," Jim said. "It was supposed to be a nice friendly game for charity. Doc can't help it if that SOB Ulrich doesn't know the meaning of friendly game."

"Ulrich?" Lori asked.

"Yeah, the guy that did this to me," Jim groused.

"You mean the guy I just treated for a broken nose and lacerations over his right eye?"

"Yeah, probably. A fight broke out…"Jim responded.

"So…a nice little friendly hockey game," she teased.

"For charity," Doc finished.

"What charity?" Lori asked as she studied Jim's swollen eye.

"It was the annual Guns and Hoses game. The money raised goes into the fund for the widows of cops and firemen," Samuelson answered.

Lori looked at Jim studiously. "You couldn't just write them a check and sit in the bleachers?"

Jim smirked. "Hey, my guys needed me…"

"Okay, well… I need a picture of that knee so I'm sending you to Radiology. I think it is probably a sprain but just to be sure…"

"A sprain? " Jim asked. "That's good…"

"It's good?" Lori frowned.

"Yeah, Doc over there thought I had torn something."

"It's a miracle you didn't," Lori shot back irritably.

"Why the anger?" Jim barked, answering her tone.

"Because I'm treating two grown men, one of whom is most definitely old enough to know better, because they were acting like kids on the schoolyard."

Jim shrugged with a smirk. "And I thought it was because you cared."

Lori looked across at Doc. "And you are as bad as they are, Jake," she said exasperated.

Doc smiled. "Hey, these guys live under a lot of stress; they have to have a way to let it out. Normally, sports are a healthy outlet."

Lori flashed an annoyed glare back at a smirking Jim. "So obviously, he isn't normal?" she quipped.

"No," chuckled Doc, "no, Jim is most definitely not a normal man; quite extra ordinary if you ask me, as well as a good friend."

"Yeah, I'm extraordinary," Jim repeated, deadpan.

Lori rolled her eyes as she turned her back on her now smiling patient and left the cubicle.

Jake Samuelson followed Lori out of the cubicle and caught up with her at the nurse's desk. "Look Lori, I know it frustrates you to see a guy Jim's age in here with that kind of injury, especially how he got it. But there's no way Jim was going to say no to helping raise funds for the widow's fund."

"Why not? Especially if it doesn't make sense for him to play?"

"Well, first I'll stand by my statement that he's in better shape than a lot of the other guys out there, especially when you consider the beating he's taken for the job. But more than that, he has personal reasons…"

"He doesn't look like a widow to me…" she shot back.

"He's not; but anything going on to help this fund and he's in the middle of it."

"Oh…I wonder why," she said softly.

"He has his reasons and I understand them. But he doesn't share that side of himself easily so I'm not surprised you don't get it."

"Whatever," she sighed heavily. "I'll check on him after Radiology gets finished with him," she said flatly before walking away.

Jake Samuelson watched her walk away and wondered why she was so upset that Jim had gotten hurt. There was only one conclusion he could draw from her reaction and he wasn't at all sure how Jim was going to handle it.

A few hours later, Jim was armed with a prescription for mild pain killers and a pair of crutches. "I'll drive you home," Jake offered.

"No, just take me back to my car at the rink," Jim said. "I haven't taken any pills and the stuff they gave me when we came in is wearing off. I'll be okay to drive."

Jake chuckled. "If you can get in the car… Let me take you home Jim."

"Really Doc, I'm fine."

Either I drive you home or I leave you here. I'm not taking you to your car," Jake insisted. Jim's upper lip curled as he looked at the older man. "And if you're trying to intimidate me with that look, forget it," Doc continued. "I'm not one of your criminals, Jim. And I'm too old to be intimidated like that."

"Okay, I guess I don't have a choice," Jim conceded.

As they drove, Doc mulled over the exchanges between Jim and Lori. "So you know Lori, eh?"

"Yeah, kind of…we met at the Robbins."

"She's a special woman, Jim."

What, you warning me off too?" Jim questioned, somewhat miffed.

"No….and I'm not sure why anyone would. She might be good for you, maybe help you get past your past."

"I doubt it," Jim grumbled. "Besides, she's kind of whacky."

"I suppose," Doc concurred. "But in a good kind of way. I haven't seen her that emotionally involved in someone else's pain in a long time. It was good to see that side of her again. She's like in you in some ways; she doesn't care half-assed. She really has a gentle spirit but the events of her life have made her withdraw. "

"Hey, I get it; her ex did a number on her," Jim snapped. "Doesn't mean we're a match."

"No, you're right. It's just…"

Jim rolled his eyes. "Okay…just what?"

"I think she cares about you….I mean, really _cares_ about you. And she hasn't really cared about anyone for years."

"Yeah, but like I said… kind of whacky."

"She has her quirks," Doc conceded. "But she doesn't care lightly. And when she loves….well, a man would be lucky to have that... have her in his life."

"Maybe. But not this man," Jim declared.

Ten minutes later, Doc Samuelson pulled into Jim's driveway. Jim managed to climb out of the car with Doc's help and then using the crutches hobbled inside. As he heard Doc pulling out of the driveway, Jim locked his door and headed for bed. It had been a long day and tomorrow wasn't looking much better.

* * *

><p>Jim is so loveably stubborn sometimes, lol.<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Jim stared at the tuxedo that hung from the hook on his closet door. _Damn, _he thought_, I paid good money for the monkey suit. Much as I didn't want to go, I laid out money for the damned thing. I wonder if…_

An hour later, with a crutch under his left arm, Jim was standing in front of his dresser mirror, freshly showered and dressed in the tux. He examined the shiner beneath his eye and decided it wasn't too bad. Leaning on the crutch for support because putting weight on his knee wasn't an option, he attempted to tie his bowtie. It wasn't co-operating. Frustrated, he decided to head to the Ball. Sheriff Liston wanted him there, she could tie the damned tie for him, he thought as he locked his front door.

Grateful that it was his left knee that was hurt, Jim managed the car as he drove to the Ball. A valet held the door and did what he could to assist Jim as he climbed out of the car but Jim was cursing all the way into the building anyway.

Sheriff Liston was the first to spot him and met him at the door. "Captain Brass, you made it…"

"Yeah," Jim growled. "But I'm not dancing," he groused to Sherrie Liston's amusement. "Where the hell do I sit, anyway," Jim muttered.

"We have a table over on the right," she directed him. "That's my blue shawl on the back of the chair over there."

Jim looked in the direction she indicated and spotted the shawl and chair. As he started to move in that direction he heard the Sheriff behind him. "And tie your tie, Captain Brass…"

Jim rolled his eyes as he crutched his way over to the table. Perusing the table he identified a place that looked like it hadn't been taken and pulled the chair out to sit.

"Captain Brass," a soft voice spoke from behind him, "what are you doing here?"

His shoulders slumping, Jim turned awkwardly to see who had spoken to him. It was Lori Messing…._Dr. Lori Messing,_ he reminded himself. "I was ordered to be here so here I am," he grumbled.

"Oh but surely the Sheriff didn't expect you to be here after you got hurt?"

"Last thing she said to me as they took me off the ice was that she expected to see me here," he replied, trying not to take his frustration out on her. After all, it wasn't her fault he got hurt or that the Sheriff was unreasonable. Besides, he was distracted. She looked hot, too damned hot for him to think straight at the moment.

Her expression changed to an amused one. "What?" he barked.

"Your um…tie," she said, her eyes studying his shirt.

"Yeah, what about it?" He grumbled as he watched her eyes lingering on his chest.

"Do you need help with it?"

Jim considered a snappy comeback but decided against it. She _was_ trying to be nice. "Um yeah…I guess. I was just going to leave it around my neck but…" He inched closer to her. "…if you don't mind?"

She stood face to face with him, her chest rising and falling slowly under the satin red gown that adorned her. Gingerly, her hands went to work on his tie but his thoughts were elsewhere…like on the twin hardened nipples hiding under the fabric of her dress, indicating that either she was cold or aroused. And the room felt comfortable to Jim, so cold wasn't the answer. His mind got busy conjuring what those little bumps might look like if they were uncovered, which made his fingers begin to twitch. The light feel of her fingers occasionally brushing against his chin didn't help at all.

He felt her finish his tie and the little pat she gave his lapels after. "I'd ask you for a dance," he began.

"As your doctor, I'd have to recommend against that," she said easily.

A wicked grin worked at the corners of his mouth. "I could use you for a crutch," he suggested.

"Then we'd both fall down, but I think you are just flirting with me anyay," she replied easily. "I'll sit here and chat if you'd like. But seriously, it would be better for your knee if you were at home with it elevated."

"Sheriff's orders, I don't think she expected me to enjoy this." he tossed out, happy with the easiness between them

"Well, I _am_ enjoying it," she agreed as they settled into the chairs.

"Now look who's flirting," he smirked. "Look, I don't mean to be the Grinch here," Jim said simply. "This just isn't my kind of party."

"So, what is your kind of party," Lori asked.

"Well, less formal to start with."

Lori smiled. "But you look good in your tux. It is such a good fit."

Jim's eyes began to twinkle at the compliment and he started to tell her about a few Vegas parties he'd attended over the years. Lori listened closely and added comments of her own about Vegas society, even mentioning that she had been at one of the parties he mentioned.

A few minutes later Sherrie Liston showed up again. "I see you two found each other," she commented.

Jim frowned. "I didn't know either of us was lost."

The Sheriff glared at Jim. "You know what I meant. After Lori made such a fuss over you being invited…" Jim's head snapped around to look at Lori as the Sheriff's rambling faded out of his consciousness. He saw Lori turn several shades of pink and red but this time he wasn't intrigued by it. He saw Lori nod to Sheriff Liston and was vaguely aware of the woman moving away but his eyes were fixed on Lori.

"You were behind me having to attend this thing?" he growled.

"Jim, I um…" she was bright red by now. "Yes," she said as she seemed to decide the truth was the best approach.

"Why?" he demanded.

"I just… I enjoyed our breakfast and I hoped…" she sighed, "but I guess it was a bad idea. Especially since you got hurt last night."

Jim's jaw clinched as he considered her words and what they meant, what the invitation meant. "Look, I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm getting serious vibes. I'm beginning to feel like you're stalking me and I don't know why. But it is starting to get a little creepy …" he grimaced. "Assuming you aren't some serial killer looking to knock me off, I'm left thinking you are looking for something from me… I'm not looking for anything, any…entanglements. And you don't strike me as the one night stand kind of woman."

Suddenly fascinated with the pattern on the tablecloth, Lori nodded. "I know. I've… made a point of _running into_ you a couple of times and combined with the other times our paths have crossed, it is weird. But we had such a nice breakfast after all the…all my stupidity that… I…well, I hoped maybe we could…connect. And I know you're not looking for a relationship; Al and Judy both tried to tell me. And to be honest, after Dave I wasn't really looking for anything either. But …"

Feeling lousy because she looked so embarrassed and because his knee really was hurting, Jim sighed. "Look, I'm flattered that you…that…well, enjoyed our breakfast. But, I 'm not the guy you want." _And I sure as hell don't want to get involved with a whack job….._

"Funny," she said as she looked up shyly. "I was beginning to think that maybe you were."

"I think I'd better go," Jim said as he watched her disappointment. "This isn't …well, dragging things out isn't going to help."

"Yeah," she nodded. "And your knee should…"

"…be up, I know." He smiled wanly at her. "You enjoy the evening, okay?" he tried.

"Yeah, right…"

Using the crutches Jim stood. After shooting her a small smile, he turned and hobbled out. By the time he made it home, his knee was throbbing and his head was hurting. And somewhere in all of that pain, he thought maybe his heart had taken a little beating too. _Why the hell do I let her get to me?_


	10. Chapter 10

"You didn't tell me Lori is a doctor," Jim said to Al Robbins as he limped into the morgue a few days later.

Al Looked up from the paper he was reading, peering over his glasses at the detective. "You didn't ask."

"It just surprised me, is all," Jim said.

"She doesn't practice much anymore," Al added. "She fills in ER from time to time when they need it. But she's on the board, so her hands are already full."

"The board? The board of the hospital?"

"Yes. Her father was the Chair for years. When he died, she was offered a seat. Felt like it was her duty, I think." Doc offered. "She is also involved in some other activities as well, like that clinic over on Industrial, but doesn't actually do much doctoring anymore."

Jim stood, taking it all in. Wiping the back of his head, he grimaced.

"Why are you asking, Jim?" Doc Robbins wanted to know.

"Nothing really…just surprised me when I had to go the ER the other night."

"Yeah, I heard about your injury. Seriously Jim, I admire your willingness and also the fact that you can play with guys half your age. But fighting?"

Jim shrugged. "I didn't fight. Ulrich came at me when I was filling in for one of the other guys that got hurt."

"Should have been your first clue," Doc chided gently.

Smirking, Jim nodded. "Yeah. But it felt good…until Ulrich took my knee out."

"But you're okay now?"

"Yeah, well…still a little sore but it'll be okay."

Doc eyed his friend carefully. "Jim, are you here asking about Lori because you _are_ interested...in her?"

Jim shot Al a disdainful look. "What? No… it just surprised me is all…"

"Yeah, like anything surprises you this much anymore. But I first met her when she was just starting her practice and then she and Judy hit it off. She's had a rough time of it. It was before you came to Vegas, but Lori was kidnapped; her father was quite wealthy. He was willing to pay the ransom but the FBI handled the case and the agent in charge wasn't willing to use that. It took four days to find her and the kidnapper was brutal. I don't know all the details but I do know she spent years in counseling and she still has problems with relating to people. That's why I said it might be good for her if you were interested in long term; I think it would be good for her to have someone who is steady. But Dave sent her back to counseling and she's just now getting her confidence back." He paused to gauge the effect of his words on Jim. "She does seem quite taken with you though."

Jim grunted. "I'm getting weird vibes off her," Jim said uncomfortably. "Plus, she's been stalking me some. No way I'm jumping in the deep end, especially with a whack job."

Doc smiled as the detective turned and walked out. "Right…" he drawled as he watched the door swing closed. Picking up his phone he dialed a number. "Hey Honey. Brass was just here and I was thinking…."

"Honestly Judy," Lori said to her friend as they talked over breakfast. "Sometimes I feel a real connection to the man, but then something happens and….its like this curtain comes down and things go dark."

"I tried to warn you, Lori. Al tried to warn you. Jim Brass is not an easy man. He's a cop; he has a suspicious nature and his past has only heightened it."

"But if you had seen his face when he realized he was at the Ball because of me." She sighed as she remembered the exchange a few nights before. "He was _so_ upset; he tried to be decent about it but he was upset."

"Did he bark or did he bite?" Judy wanted to know.

"What?" Lori looked at her friend, confused.

"When Jim is upset, he growls and barks. When he's angry, he bites."

Lori cracked a smile. "Barked, kind of…I guess. But…really he was kind of sweet, in a bulldog kind of way."

Judy almost spit out the sip of juice she had just taken. "Jim Brass….sweet?"

"Well…yes, kind of. He…well, he was trying to let me down gently; told me he wasn't looking for any entanglements. Said he was flattered by my interest and then said he'd better go, that dragging things out wasn't going to help."

Judy studied her friend's face thoughtfully. And then suddenly she chuckled. "You've done the impossible," she declared.

"What?" Lori asked in confusion.

"You made Jim Brass run," Judy laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been a hell of a day…hell of a week. Jim had been a part of the family meeting in Russell's office and totally blindsided by Catherine's announcement. He'd known something was off with her lately. She'd talked about it a little and he'd noticed her pulling away since Russell's arrival on the scene. He'd wondered if she wasn't thinking about leaving CSI; but to go to the FBI? That had caught him by surprise. Things were going to change, he mused as he finished the last drops of the Scotch in his glass.

With a grunt, he acknowledged to himself that there was no use letting it get to him. He'd seen plenty others come and go. It was just…well, he'd worked with Grissom and Catherine more than anyone else since he came to Vegas. Gil had left a couple years back and now she was gone. In fact, out of the grave shift team he'd had when he was at CSI, Stokes was the only one left. A lot had happened in the ten years since he'd been forced back to Homicide.

It all had Jim in a dark mood. His shift was over; it was time to leave. But he didn't really want to go home. Not much there either, he mused. Still, it was better than hiding here behind glass walls. So he put the Scotch back in his drawer and left.

At home, he became restless. He couldn't really pinpoint what was bothering him so much. He'd been on his own for years; nothing new in that. And he'd seen friends leave before. But for some reason, he was suddenly feeling very lonely. Or maybe not so suddenly, he thought. Maybe this has been coming for awhile…

He drove himself over to the club that had become his newest haunt. As he walked in, he remembered the last time he'd been there, the night Lori had butted in. After ordering a drink, he realized he was scanning the room, looking for someone…for Lori, he finally admitted to himself. His eyes settled over first one and then another prospect for a fun evening, but he couldn't muster much excitement.

One woman approached him. As she got closer, he recognized the look, the manner. Briefly he considered taking advantage of the opportunity but quickly dismissed the idea. He wouldn't find any satisfaction here. So he finished the last of his drink and headed out, never even speaking to the woman.

Things seemed almost routine for the next couple of weeks. Or maybe Jim was just getting to a place where nothing really seemed all that extraordinary anymore. More than once he considered that maybe he'd seen too much.

He was deep in those thoughts when a call came through for about shots fired at The Palacio. There's been a shooting at a political fundraising dinner. Sighing deeply, Jim hung up the phone and headed out, grabbing a couple of uniformed units to go with him. There would be a lot of angry diners there who wanted to leave and he needed them to stay until he asked some questions.

When he arrived on the scene, he found chaos. The security guy for the restaurant met him as he pulled into the parking lot. "He's in there and he won't let anyone come out," the man was yelling.

"Wait, Who's in there?" Jim asked as he bounced out of his car, moving quickly to meet the security guard.

"The shooter. He walked in and just started shooting. Bullets were flying everywhere and people were diving for cover."

"Anyone hurt? Jim asked. Dispatch hadn't told him the shooter was still on the premises.

"I don't know….I was out here when it all started. I ran to the doors but the manager was closing them as I got there. He told me to call 911 and back away. The shooter was watching everything."

'Okay, okay…so how many are in there with this nutjob?"

About forty people, I think. It was invitation only and about sixty were sent out but not everyone showed up."

"That include the help…servers, kitchen help…?"

"No, the guys in the kitchen ran out the back. They're all across the street at the donut place. Most of the servers made it out too but a few are still in there… and the manager."

"Okay, good…you go over to the donut shop with Mitch here," Jim indicated Officer Mitchell. "Mitch, I want their stories…anything that can help us know what is going on with this guy, okay?"

"Got it Cap…." Mitch said as he and the security guard made their way to the donut shop.

"Thompson," Jim called to one of the other uniforms standing close by. "You take one of the other guys and go around back. Keep an eye out…get anyone who comes out to safety."

"Sure," he nodded. "Hey Wilson, you're with me," Thompson called out to a younger uniform.

That left Bates and Gonzalez with Jim. "Okay guys, keep your eyes open. I'm calling for SWAT and a negotiator but it is going to take a while."

Bates and Gonzalez moved a little closer to the front and found positions behind some cars where they could watch and be safe. Meantime, Jim was on the radio, calling for back-up and Swat. Then he called the Sheriff to get a negotiator to the scene.

Twenty minutes later a SWAT team was on site. Mitchell was back from the donut shop. "It's all pretty much the same story… White male, early thirties walked in and just started shooting. Said he was part of the New American Revolution and things were going to change. Then he started shooting again. Didn't seem to be aiming at anyone in particular. One of the servers said he thought a few people at the front might have been hit but he wasn't sure. The chef said he seemed to be aiming high, more to scare people than hurt them."

"Okay, that's good…" Jim nodded as he was thinking. Turning to the SWAT lieutenant, he asked, "What's your plan?"

Lt. Reyes was staring at the front of the building. I can get my guys in position around the exits and put a man on the roof across the street but he's not going to have very good visability. All those curtains in the windows are blocking our line of sight," he lamented. "Any word on the negotiator?"

"None. Sheriff Liston said he was out in Henderson on a domestic call but they were supposed to be finishing up there. As long as this guy stays quiet, I'm willing to wait but if he starts shooting the place up again, we'll have to do something."

Reyes looked at Jim. "You are trained…" he suggested.

"Only the basic stuff," Jim grimaced. "And the last time I got tangled up in a hostage negotiation, I damned nearly died."

"Yeah, but the hostage got out okay," Reyes reminded Jim.

"Yeah…but I didn't handle it right. They guy played me. Too many in there to let that happen again."

"Still...it might come down to you doing the talking," Reyes responded.

With a deep sigh, Jim acknowledged the possibility even though he didn't want to go there. "Maybe. But for now, we get in position and we wait."

They didn't wait long, however. About fifteen minutes after the arrival of SWAT there were more bursts of gunfire inside the building. Reyes looked at Jim, his eyes saying what Jim knew already, he was going to have to start talking to the perp inside. "Okay, I know…" Jim grumbled. As he pulled out his cell. "Dispatch, I need the number for the restaurant," Jim barked.

They came back immediately with the number and Jim dialed, his gut churning and his eyes looking heavenward for guidance that he wasn't sure really existed…for him anyway.

The phone inside rang…and rang…and rang. But Jim kept his phone to his ear. Finally, he heard the telltale click of someone picking up on the other end. "Hello," a nervous voice said softly.

"This is Jim Brass, LVPD. Who are you?"

"Vinnie Costa…I…I'm the manager here."

"Okay Vinnie, just stay calm, okay…"

"Yeah…it….its hard though."

"Yeah, I understand. They guy with the gun…will he talk to me?"

"Um…I'll….I'll ask….just….hang on."

"Yeah Vinnie, I'm here til you and the others are outta there, okay…"

"Yeah…um…okay…"

Things went silent for a moment and then Jim heard Vinnie talking. Jim presumed it was to the shooter, now hostage taker. The was a shuffling noise on the other end and Vinnie was back. "He says…he says he doesn't want to talk to you…says…anyone with the government is corrupt."

"Yeah, well…okay…well, tell him this then. Tell him we're not leaving until everyone is out of there. Tell him we wanna talk to him, see if we can't work this out where nobody gets hurt, but…we're not going anywhere."

"O…okay, I'll um…" and the line went dead.

"Great," Jim snarled as he stared at his phone and then lifted his eyes to the building. "Son of a bitch wants to play hardball."

* * *

><p>How's that for a little cliffy, eh? I hope you are having fun reading; I know I am having fun writing. There just isn't enough of the Brassman out there or on the show, for that matter!<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Reyes edged up to Jim on his right. "We can't get a clear view, Captain but my guys were able to get a microphone up to a window. We can hear some of what's going on inside…"

Jim perked up at that news. "Good, what have we got so far?"

"Not much. Women crying…one guy trying to talk to the perp. A lot of yelling but nothing that helps."

"Yeah, well…just have your guy keep his ears on."

"Right." Reyes moved off, leaving Jim standing alone behind his car for the moment. "Damn," the veteran detective muttered. He studied the front of the building as if it would reveal any clues about what they could do to end this…and everyone still alive. _Okay, think…the guy doesn't like the government… one of the survivalist groups maybe? But this isn't really their MO so who is this guy, then? _

His thoughts were disturbed by the sound of a truck pulling up and stopping across the street. Turning, another groan escaped Brass. "Shit, all we need," he mumbled as he waved Mitch over. "Tell them to go the hell away. Get back…They can leave a reporter but the reporter stays across the street and down some, out of the line of fire. And put a man on the reporter to be sure my orders are followed. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it," Mitch assured his captain. He headed away calling to a young officer who had arrived late to the party. "Simmons, come with me."

Jim grinned at Mitch's choice. He'd given the new guy the grunt job, hopefully keeping both the young, inexperienced officer and the reporter out of the way. Jim nodded approvingly.

Turning his attention back to the restaurant, Jim sighed. "How do I get into your head, you son of a bitch?" he spoke softly as his mind begin to turn again.

About ten minutes later, a car pulled in and Nolan Weber got out. "Jim, sorry I'm late … got held up."

"Man, am I glad to see you," Jim said, relief flooding over him with the appearance of a negotiator. "I tried contacting him once but got cut off…" and Jim went on to fill Weber in on all the details so far.

Weber nodded and then grimaced. "Okay, so he can't know I work for the government. As far as anyone knows, I'm someone you guys asked to help…a professor over at the university that teaches negotiation methods."

"Well, you do have that one class…"

"Right. So… you have the number?"

Jim gladly handed over the number and watched as Nolan readied himself to go to work. Backing away, Jim decided to give the guy some space. Besides, it might look better to the perp if he was watching if he saw the cops pull away a little. Might make Nolan's story easier to sell.

The night was wearing into early morning hours before Nolan was actually able to get the perp to talk to him. The conversation was short and not very productive, but at least the bastard had talked to him. Jim watched and waited. Like everyone, he was anxious to have this over with but understood the need to go easy. Reyes had rotated some of his guys around, giving them all breaks so that no one got too wound up.

Then finally they got a break. Weber had tried to call again and the perp was talking. ..making demands but at least he was talking. Jim watched as Weber hung up and walked to him. "He wants a press conference."

"A what?" Jim exclaimed.

"Yeah, he wants to tell his side to the press. He knows there are reporters here."

"Watching the tv inside, is he?"

"You got it. Any of those reporters willing, you think?"

Jim studied the gaggle of reporters that had been corralled across the street. "Abrams maybe….and Whittington."

"You'll ask them?"

"Nolan, I'm not sending more hostages in…"

"Okay, you talk to them and I'll see if I can work out a trade."

Jim sighed. He didn't like this, not one bit. But they had to do something… "Okay, I'll ask but if he won't give up hostages, this is a no go"

Nolan Weber got back on the phone as Jim walked over to the reporters. As he'd guessed, Abrams was eager. Whittington said he would do it but only if Jim went in too. All the others backed away.

_This isn't good_, Jim told himself as he made his way back to Weber. _Not good at all….Just tell him about Abrams…. Leave Whittington out? Keeps me out… but…not good…so not good…_

Weber was still on the phone when Jim walked up. "Okay," the negotiator was saying… "yeah…two or more, I get it. Let me see what the detective has to say, he talked to the reporters…will you hold?" Nolan paused. "Okay good…"

Covering the phone so the perp wouldn't hear the conversation, Nolan looked at Jim. "So?"

"Abrams is good to go," Jim replied.

"He wants two or more…"

With a sigh, Jim's shoulders slumped. "Whittington said he'd do it if I went in too…"

"But Jim…"

"Yeah, I know…not a good plan…"

"Any of the others?"

"No. They all scattered when I told them what was up."

"Do you want to go in?" Nolan asked.

"Do I really have a choice?" Jim answered fatally.

Weber let out a deep breath. "Let me see what the guy says."

Jim stood by as Weber started talking on the phone again. "Okay, here's the deal. Most of the reporters will not come in there. We have one who says he is willing, if you send some people out first."

Jim watched as Weber tensed. "Yeah, I know you said two or more, but I don't have two that are willing…"

Weber was silent again as the voice on the other end ranted. "Okay, I understand," Weber finally said. "How about this, then….one other reporter said he would go in if Detective Brass went in with him."

Jim heard the yelling on the other end and grimaced. He watched as Weber waited for the yelling to stop. "Look, that's the best I can do. You give me, say five hostages and you get one reporter or you give me twelve and you get two reporters and a cop."

After a long silence, Jim saw Weber nodding. "Okay then, in ten minutes, you send your people out…all twelve and my three will go in." Weber hung up and turned to look at Jim. Twelve lives, Jim…"

"Yeah, I get it," Jim said. "Don't like it but I get it…"

Ten minutes later Jim stood with the two reporters behind a half wall at the side of the building, waiting. His gut was churning and his skin felt like it was tingling all over and not in a good way. This was a position he'd told himself he'd never get into again, not after the last time. But here he was with no way to avoid it. _Have to shake that off, Jimmy_, he told himself_. That was then, this is now…_

The front door opened and people began to file out. There was a mix of men and women, some faces he recognized as Vegas money and some were politicos; there were a few he didn't know and a couple who were servers. But what got his attention the most was the count; there were fifteen. As the last one left the building, the voice yelled from just inside the door, "Just palyin' fair," it bellowed. "Five for one…."

Over the megaphone, Jim heard Weber. "You're doing the right thing."

Once the last of the fifteen cleared the few feet in front of the door, Jim led the reporters inside. _At least somebody thinks my life is worth as much as the damned reporters…_

* * *

><p><em>Oops, another cliffy, lol. Hmmm, guess you'll just have to check back in a couple of days to see what happens next;-)<em>


	13. Chapter 13

Most of the lights had been dimmed or shot out inside. Jim looked around, trying to get his bearings, his eyes settling on a man standing a few feet away, partially shielded by a column and holding a gun. "Okay, we're here," Jim told him.

"You're the cop," the man stated derisively.

"I am…Jim Brass. We spoke on the phone before…"

"Yeah…uh, just…" the man looked nervous "Just go sit over there," he motioned to the bar…and no funny business." Jim started to walk toward the bar when the perp yelled. "Wait, you got any guns on you?"

Jim held his jacket opened and turned a tight circle so the man could see he had nothing hidden, "no guns," he told the perp.

The perp looked at him skeptically. "Good, cause if I see a gun I might have to shoot somebody."

Jim shrugged. "Nobody needs to get hurt here…ah, what's your name anyway?"

The man frowned at him. "What do you wanna know my name for?"

"Have to call you something… I'm Jim. Who are you?"

The man straightened a little. "My name's Farley."

"Okay Farley," Jim began. "Well, we're here, like you asked. And that was a good thing, by the way, letting fifteen people go."

"Just trying to play fair," Farley said evenly.

"Well, I appreciate it. I was kind of feeling like my life didn't matter as much as the reporters' lives but you did."

"I did what?" Farley asked gruffly.

"You thought my life counted as much as the reporters. And I appreciate that. I want to help you, Farley. I want to help you get out of this alive."

Farley seemed to consider Jim's words for a minute. "Shit, I ain't getting out of here alive," he said finally. "I knew that coming in."

"Doesn't have to be that way, Farley. Why don't you let me help you get out of this mess?" Jim asked.

Farley tilted his head slightly and then chuckled. "You just go sit over there where I told you. I want to talk to these reporters, tell them my side…"

"Alright," Jim agreed. "I'd like to hear your side too."

Jim noticed a slight hesitation from Farley and then he began to relax. "Yeah, good…" Farley responded.

While Farley talked to the reporters, Jim looked around the room. There were about a dozen people huddled in the corner, all looking stricken. No one seemed hurt though and Jim was glad of that. He spotted a few more people near the door to the kitchen, which stood open. Tilting his head, he tried to peer around the door to see what was inside. One of the men in the huddle held up two fingers and mouthed "dead."

Jim nodded slightly and settled back on the barstool. Looking over at the group in the corner again a face stood out. He felt it in his gut before recognition even registered in his brain. But there, in the middle of the group was Lori. And she looked shaken up. For reasons Jim didn't want to think about, this all of a sudden became personal to him.

Farley was sitting at a table with the two reporters, rambling on with something about the government taking everything. Jim tried to follow but the guy just rambled and it wasn't making much sense. Abrams tried to ask questions but the rambling just kept going.

Finally Farley decided he'd told the reporters enough. "Okay, now you two gonna tell my side?" he asked them.

"Sure," Abrams answered. "But it might take a little while. Whittington here is a print reporter so his story will be in the paper but I'm television. But it still is going to take a little while."

"Why? Why's it gonna take so long?" Farley wanted to know.

Whittington spoke up. "I have to write the story and then submit it. Right now it's going to be close but I think I can convince my editor to hold off printing the paper until I get the story written."

Farley nodded his approval. "And you?" he asked Abrams.

"Well, I need to get it organized so that it all makes sense when I'm in front of the camera. And my producer has to clear the air time. But we'll get it out…your story will be told."

Relaxing a little, Farley nodded. "Okay…as long as you promise."

"We promise," Abrams said.

"Good, cause I'll start shooting again if I think you're playing me."

"No, no need to start shooting," Whittington said. "Just give us some time to get it done, okay," he asked as his eyes flashed to Brass.

"Okay then, you'd better go," Farley said. As Jim stood to leave with them, Farley barked. "No, not you."

Jim froze. _Oh shit…_he said to himself as his eyes rolled. "Yeah?"

"You stay." With a sigh, Jim turned to him. "Okay, but why not let some of the others go then…maybe the women?"

"Why should I?" Farley asked.

Brass couldn't decide if he wanted to smack or kiss Abrams when he chimed in. "Well, Brass here's a police captain so he's worth a lot as a hostage and you have so many people in here…hard to watch them all. It's a good idea, trade some of the women for a highly decorated cop and you won't have so many to keep an eye on."

"You're a Captain…got lots of trophies, do ya?" he directed at Jim who shrugged. Farley considered the suggestion and looked over at the corner. "Okay, I guess it is a good idea. Just the women though…the men stay."

"Good," Abrams said. "You're being smart here, Farley."

Farley waved the gun at the corner. "All you women stand up over there."

The group of women, seven in all, stood and moved closer to the door. "Okay," Farley said as he motioned to the women near the kitchen, you women too." Three women stood and edged across to join the others. "Okay, you go with the reporters and you," Farley said as he pointed his weapon at Jim, "you go sit over with the others." Jim watched the women leave as he settled in a chair at the corner table. Ten more lives…and Lori was safe. He was breathing a little better.

Jim knew how things would proceed. They cut the power first. Consequently, he wasn't surprised about fifteen minutes later when everything went dark. Farley started yelling and shooting but he was shooting high. Jim dove for the floor and listened as bullets flew overhead. "Anybody hurt," he asked softly when the shooting stopped.

"We're okay," a man behind him whispered. "But I think Patrick was hit over by the kitchen."

"Damn," Jim muttered.

"Shut up!" Farley yelled.

"Farley, one of the guys is hit. You have to let him go, let him get help." Jim said carefully.

"Nobody's leaving" Farley yelled.

"But he's hurt. I know you don't really mean to hurt anybody," Jim tried again.

From across the room, Jim heard a loud huff. "No I didn't mean to hurt him. It just…they turned off the lights and…"

"Yeah, I understand Farley," Jim offered. "And they'll understand outside too, if you let him go."

There was some shuffling and then Jim heard a grunt. "Geez, he's hurt bad," Farley lamented.

"Let him get help," Jim encouraged.

"Can you walk?" Farley asked Patrick.

"Uh…no, I …I can't….breathe," Patrick said weakly.

"Damn," Farley exclaimed. Then with another huff, he made a decision. "You two," he said as he pointed at the two men next to Patrick, "You take him out…and tell 'em I didn't mean it."

"Yeah, we'll tell them," one of the men said. There was more shuffling and the door opened. Jim saw the small group, the two men carrying Patrick between them, as they went out. That left Jim and the small group of men with him…six lives still hanging in the balance and of course, Farley. Still… things were improving.

The phone began to ring a couple of minutes after Patrick and the others were clear. Jim knew what was coming. Nolan would talk to Farley, keep him distracted while SWAT got ready to storm the place. Shooting Patrick had been their cue to make a move. As long as no one was getting hurt, Nolan would've been patient and talked him out. But when he started shooting the hostages….that was a game changer.

Peering around, trying to think how SWAT would come in and locate the safest spot for him and the five hostages that remained, Jim decided that getting closer to the kitchen was the best move. Turning to the others, he began to whisper. "We need to get to the kitchen. As soon as he hangs up, there's going to be shooting but my guys will be aiming high. Stay down, crawl along the wall using the tables for cover as much as you can. Then get into the kitchen. Swat will send some guys in as soon as the shooting stops but be sure your faces are covered….they'll use flash grenades and tear gas probably," he told the others.

"Okay," they agreed. Then anxiously, all six men listened and waited. Suddenly, Farley slammed down the phone and started yelling. "He won't listen to me!"

Next, all hell broke loose as bullets began flying through the front windows. Jim heard Farley go down and patted the guy next to him. "Go," he said. He tried to watch the men as they crawled and scooted but things were still dark. He heard Farley yelling but couldn't really make out what the perp was saying over the gunfire. Finally, when Jim saw the last man scooting away, Jim began his crawl toward what he hoped would be safety.

It seemed to take forever but finally Jim was at the opening to the kitchen. Just as he made up his mind to scoot through, he heard the back door fly open and canisters being tossed. "Shit," he mumbled as he grabbed a cloth on the floor to cover his face. Through the cloth he saw a flash of light. Next there was more gunfire followed by the tell-tale smell and sound of tear gas being discharged. Jim lunged through the kitchen door just as Swat charged in, wearing gas masks and wielding flashlights. One of the men began immediately funneling the hostages out. By now, Jim's eyes were stinging and he was coughing. The team leader pulled him back where another team member walked him out. Mitch was waiting for him outside and walked him to a waiting ambulance for the EMT to check him out.

Lori had been watching from behind the patrol cars but when she saw Mitch walking Jim to the ambulance, she bolted in their direction. She arrived at the ambulance door in time to hear the EMT pronounce that Jim would be okay, just needed a few minutes for the tear gas to clear his system. He stepped back, acknowledging her presence before moving off to help someone else.

Jim was still wiping his face and coughing a little. But she could see he was really okay. "Stings, huh?" she asked benignly but fear tinged the question.

Looking up, his eyes still watering, Jim answered. "Yeah, but…are you okay?"

Something in her accepted that no matter how much she wasn't looking for a relationship, no matter how many times she had sworn off men, no matter how much Dave had hurt her, she felt something for this man. Tentatively she answered, "I'm fine…now that you are here," she answered softly.

Jim blinked. He wasn't sure if it was because of the tear gas or her, but he blinked. His eyes settled on hers, searching for the meaning of her answer.

She reached for his face, caressing his cheek with featherlike fingertips as her eyes drilled into his, seeking acceptance. Everything around them seemed to stop, fade away until it was only the two of them. His eyes were fixed on hers, the sound of his own breathing the only thing he could hear as he felt himself being drawn to her. Not wanting to disturb the magic in the moment, he sat absolutely still.

Somewhere, deep in his soul, he knew he was lost. That disturbed him on many levels but he pushed it aside, drawn to the danger she represented. Because for the first time in years, he knew he was in danger of losing his heart and it frightened him. But it also thrilled him. What was this hold she had on him? But he didn't trust her or the situation. Her interest had been too intense from the beginning and that worried him. Falling for her would be like falling into a bottomless well. His brain was screaming to back away but he felt himself being pulled into her spell.

His thoughts blurred as did her face as she leaned closer, those fingers still caressing his cheek tenderly. He was at the mercy of those eyes, those fingers, the soft puffs of her breath against his skin just as her lips touched his. Her lips were warm and soft but that wasn't a surprise to him. What did surprise him was how tender and yet forceful they were. He wanted to resist but felt powerless to do so and consequently panic began to set in. As much as he wanted to back away, he couldn't. There was a part of him that wanted this.

Instead, he felt himself being drawn in more; drawn into the kiss, into her. Without him realizing it, his right hand went to the back of her head and was quickly followed by is left. Her tongue parted his lips and began a slow dance with his, driving him to the brink of insanity.

And then she pulled away, leaving him quivering and uncertain. Their eyes locked briefly before she looked away demurely, her customary red tint creeping up her neck and into her face. She was blushing. She'd instigated one of the most intense kisses he'd ever experienced and she was blushing.

He reached for her and she tensed, her eyes closing as she fought for self control. "Lori," he whispered. Looking up at him, her eyes reflected the uncertainty she felt. Her expression was a mix of fear and anguish. "I think," he started… "I think we need to talk," he said quietly.

"No, it's alright. I understand," she said, accepting defeat before the cards had even been uncovered.

"Well, I 'm glad you do because I'm very confused," Jim said tenderly.

And somehow that gave her hope. Her eyes flickered up to him and a slight frown creased her brow. "Me too," she managed a small smile. "I don't usually… I mean, you've made it clear that you weren't interested…" she fumbled for words. "And then I went and did…that."

"Yeah," he grinned warmly. "You did."

She glanced around at the other people around the parking lot. "Can we … is there someplace we can go… to talk?"

His eyes twinkled as he watched her. "I wish I could, right now. But I have to finish here," he answered solemnly. "It shouldn't be too long. I'll call you?"

"I'll be waiting to hear from you," she promised. "You have my number?"

"Yeah, I do." Reluctantly Jim stood and walked away.

* * *

><p>Okay, I was good this time...no cliffy, lol. I do apologize for the problems with the last chapter being delayed in showing up on the post. DOn't know waht was up with that but I do appreciate everyone who kept trying. I really, really appreciate allt he support from the reviews. Those little bits of candy keep the fingers busy.<p> 


	14. Chapter 14

This probably isn't the "talk" that you had in mind. But I hope you enjoy it anyway, tehehe...

* * *

><p>He ended up on her front doorstep a little over an hour later. He'd called her as promised and she'd suggested he come to her place. No one would disturb them and they could talk. But now that he was here, she was nervous and just to add to her state of confusion, he seemed really nervous too.<p>

'Drink?" she asked after she'd led him through a maze of rooms to a sofa in her den.

"Um…yeah, that's a good idea," he conceded.

She tilted her head and looked at him askew.

"What?" he asked warily.

"Just trying to decide…. But I'll just ask straight out; I have Jameson or Grey Goose, but my instincts are telling me you're a single malt man."

Grinning, Jim winked. "Jameson," he said, "although I prefer Scotch to Irish."

Lori looked like she'd suddenly remembered something and then disappeared. Jim used her absence as an opportunity to peruse the room. It had clearly been a man's den at one time. There were dark panels on the opposite wall and a large bank of windows looking out over the back lawn. Bookcases framed a fireplace on a third wall. Scanning the books, he chuckled at the different tastes reflected there. What had obviously been her father's books had been neatly moved to the top most shelves. Books about medicine lined the next row. There were some best sellers, biographies, and a few books on philosophy intermingled in the next shelves. And tucked in at the bottom, next to what was obviously her favorite reading chair, were romance novels. _Smart, _he thought when he read some of the book titles_, and romantic…or at least looking for some. _A couple of minutes later she was back with a box in her hand. "I had forgotten about this…I think you'll like it," she said as she opened the box.

Jim was impressed as she pulled out a bottle of Macallan 15 Year Old Fine Oak. "Wow," he said appreciatively. "You had forgotten about it?"

"Yeah, bought it for my father but he died before I could give it to him. So it has been sitting in my closet…" she said sheepishly.

"I don't…I mean, this stuff isn't…"

"I'll never drink it," she threw out. "And I'd rather someone who will appreciate it have it than …I don't know, it just sitting in my closet."

Shrugging, Jim eyed the bottle. "You've got a point..."

Her eyes twinkling, she asked, "So straight, on the rocks, a mixer?"

"Um… straight is good," Jim replied, his eyes shifting to her face.

Motioning for him to sit again, she went to the wet bar and retrieved a glass. After pouring a generous offering for him, she reached for another glass and poured Jameson for herself, adding one ice cube as an afterthought. Then she walked to the sofa, handed him his drink, and sat next to him, turned slightly to see him.

Jim watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sipped from her glass. He had the impression she'd been drinking before he got there, but he couldn't gauge how much. Then her eyes settled on him salaciously, which made him need a gulp from his drink, which was a waste of good Scotch. This wasn't gulping Scotch, he realized as the liquid rolled over his tongue; it was a drink to be savored.

"I didn't mean…I mean, you told me you …well, when I kissed you," she began rambling.

"You meant it," Jim said with a cocky tone, her turmoil giving him courage. "Just like I meant it when I kissed you back. And, you're right, I did say I'm not up for a relationship, but I did enjoy that kiss…maybe too much," he said as she took another gulp.

Amused, Jim noticed that while he'd had a couple of deep swigs from his glass, hers was empty. He watched fascinated as she poured another one for herself. Taking another sip of his, he saw her drain half of hers.

Grinning, he warned, "Better go easy with that…"

"I'm okay," she informed him. He suspected the slight flush in her face was due to the drinks this time more than any sense of embarrassment.

"Yeah, but keep going like that and you won't be in the morning."

"Says who?" she challenged. "I can hold my own."

"Okay," Jim chuckled. "But I thought we were going to talk."

"We are talking." She looked at his glass, which he had finally drained. "More?"

"Sure…about half as much as the last one," he said as he handed her his glass.

She moved back to the wet bar and poured his drink. Returning, she sat next to him, handing him his glass. "So talk…"

Sizing her up, trying to gauge just how inebriated she actually was, Jim decided she still had her wits about her. Unsure about why he had to be the one to start the conversation, he played along anyway. "That kiss… I don't…."

"You mean…like this," she said as she zeroed in on his lips again. But this time they were both sitting, or rather he was. She was already in motion, scooting over him until she was in his lap, her thighs surrounding his, her body pressing against his manhood. The kiss deepened as she shifted even closer, sending his blood rushing through him and making his temperature rise dramatically.

He shifted and putting his hands on her hips, eased her off his lap, trying to regain his equilibrium.

"You didn't like my kiss?" she accused, her lower lip jutting out in a pout.

_Okay, maybe she's a little farther gone than I thought…_ "Oh, I liked it," he soothed, trying to get his breathing under control. _She really knows how to make things hard, _he thought and then rolled his eyes at his own double entendre.

"Good," she declared. "Because I want to do it again." Her words were just registering in Jim's mind when she climbed back into his lap and began kissing him again. This one was as good as the last…better, he thought. And he capitulated, letting the sensations of her flow over him.

They kissed repeatedly until Jim was beginning to feel light-headed. Not having slept in over twenty four hours, he realized that maybe the drinks hadn't been such a good idea. And staying here with her like this was probably even a worse one.

"Lori…" he tried to break things up.

"Hmmm?' she hummed as she let up only long enough to take a breath before diving back into his lips.

Using his hand, he tried to pry her off. "I um….I should go," he declared.

Straightening up, she slid off his lap. "You don't like my kisses," she pouted as she threw back another half a glass of her Jameson.

"I do…but I haven't slept since yesterday. I should go…"

Her eyes lit. "You can sleep here…with me," she blurted happily. Contrition flushed over her face briefly and then she looked at him and smiled assuredly. Her eyes glittered brightly, indicating how much the alcohol was affecting her.

Jim was used to the little devil that sat on his shoulder; the one that was telling him to take her up on her offer. There were worse ways to end the night and his "little man" would certainly be happy with him if he did. But he'd never taken advantage of a woman; not unless she wanted to be taken advantage of anyway. And he wasn't convinced that she wanted that, no matter what she was saying or the looks she was giving him.

"I'd better go," he declared firmly.

"You're no fun," she stated. She walked to the wet bar, picked up her bottle and took a huge swig.

Jim's eyes widened in surprise. "Take it easy with that…"

Putting the bottle down, she grinned. "Or what? What you going to do to me, huh?"

"I'm not…look I just don't want you to regret this later."

Still grinning, she walked towards him. Throwing her arms over his shoulders, she looked straight into his eyes. "Only thing I'll regret will be if we don't do the deed."

_Shit, this is moving way too fast…. _"Look Lori…"

She threw her hands up in the air and turned too quickly to walk away from him. The motion threw her off balance and she fell on the sofa. "Ouwww," she wailed.

"Look, let me help you get to your bed," Jim offered.

"You're going to take me to bed?" she brightened her eyes shining although in an unfocused way.

"Let's go," he sighed as he reached to help her stand. She leaned on him as they made their way to her bedroom. Jim tried to ignore the striptease she performed as he pulled down the covers on her bed but he couldn't seem to keep his eyes from wandering in her direction. "Come on," he beckoned to her as he fought the desire her now naked body had ignited in him.

Lori sauntered to him, her eyelids heavy. "My, you're eager," she taunted.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You first," he directed diffidently. Smiling, she slid into the bed. Jim pulled the covers over her and was turning to leave when she pulled him down. "Kiss me," she commanded.

Chuckling, Jim considered his options. "Okay," he agreed. "And then sleep."

"Okay," she replied much too brightly.

They kissed. Jim lingered longer than he'd intended and she used the advantage to pull him down on the bed. Surprised at first, he relished the feel of her beneath him. But his better senses took over. He really didn't want to go down this trail with her so he rolled off and onto the opposite side of the bed. She lunged for him, capturing his lips in another kiss. Finally, he pulled away. "Lori, not now…sleep remember?"

She looked at him fuzzily. "Oh yeah…you need your sleep." She was slurring her words and Jim knew she was winding down. "Ooookaayyyy, we'll sleep," she said as she pushed him down on the bed and collapsed with her head on his chest. Jim debated his options and decided to let her doze off before making his escape. But his own tiredness caught up with him and soon, he was dozing too.

The sun began to peek through her drapes a couple of hours later, waking Jim. Lori had shifted and while she was curled up next to him, she wasn't on him and he could make his escape. Easing himself out of the bed, he stopped to look down at her. She really was beautiful, he conceded. The sunlight seemed to give her skin a glow and she looked so peaceful lying there. She even had a little smile on her face, he realized. Had he put that smile there?

Shaking his head in denial and an effort to rid himself of that line of thought, he turned to leave when he heard her mumble. Turning back to her, he saw her eyes flutter. "Jim?' she asked huskily.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep. I'll call you tomorrow," he told her as he stood over her, tucking the covers over her.

"Hmmm…tomorrow," she murmured as she curled into her covers and drifted to sleep.

Jim let himself out, locking the door as he left. Tired and having had a little too much too drink, he felt groggy by the time he made it to his own house. Once inside, it was just a matter of minutes before he was asleep too, the feel of her and the sight of her doing her little striptease playing in his dreams. He awoke several hours later from a dream that gave Woody life he hadn't had in a long time.


	15. Chapter 15

I started this with the idea that it would be humorous but then it grew serious. Hopefully this chapter gets back to some of the humor.

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><p>Lori woke to the sound of her phone ringing about noon. "Llo…" she muttered into the phone.<p>

"Lori? You okay?" a bright, happy voice asked from the end of the dark tunnel.

"Mmmm, give me a minute before you make me answer that, Judy. What time ist?"

"Noon. You okay? You're usually an early bird." Judy Robbins inquired.

"Umm…yeah….but last night I…" Lori tried to piece together the previous night in her mind.

"Yeah, Al told me. You were hostage at that restaurant. It's all over the news. Brass is a hero…again, and the Sheriff is furious."

"Why….is she angry, I mean? I know why Brass…"

Judy cut her off. "She can't find him…anywhere. He's not answering his phone and he isn't in his office. She even sent a patrolman to his house."

"Maybe he's tired," Lori managed to say in spite of her thickened tongue.

"Maybe…" Judy replied, suspicion tingeing her tone. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about where he is, would you?"

"Me? No, why would I?" And then it hit her, why her head ached and why her tongue felt like a wad of cotton in her mouth, and who had been here last night. "Oh…my….god…."

"Lori?"

"Have to go, Judy. Talk to you later," she said hurriedly before hanging up. Sitting up, Lori took in her surroundings. The other side of her bed looked rumpled. That wasn't good. Her clothes were all over the room. Vaguely she remembered them coming off. Feeling herself turning a bright red, her insides did a flip. "Holy shit," she said out loud.

She tried to remember what happened after her little display. "He must've been horrified," she muttered as she began picking up her clothes. "Oh Lori, what have you done?" Then the flash of him over her seared through her mind. "What did _he_ do?" Falling backwards on her bed, she tried to remember what happened. But everything was a fuzzy blank.

Giving more thought to the way she felt, she was even more confused. She didn't feel like she had…that they had…. But the vision of his face over her returned. He was saying something and he seemed so tender. But she couldn't pull it together in her mind. Had they?

Jim Brass gave the bag one more punch and decided he'd had enough. He'd been awakened again after taking care of Woody by the ringing of his phone. Still tired but wound like a coil, he decided he didn't want to talk to the sheriff or anyone else who might call…especially if _she_ called. Last night had been a close call. She had tried to hook him and he'd been tempted, but if there was one thing Jim Brass did not want, it was to be hooked. No sir, he would not fall into that woman's trap. He'd tried being gruff with her and he'd tried playing nice. Neither had worked. So how was he going to keep her at arm's length… especially after she had put on that titillating show for him last night. So he'd gotten dressed and gone the only place he knew no one would look for him, the boxing gym.

He'd worked out and then gone a few rounds with the punching bag. He was hot, sweaty, worn out, and still he couldn't get _her_ out of his mind. And idiot that he was, he'd promised to call her today. Kicking himself for that while he toweled off, he decided he just wouldn't call. Maybe then she'd get the message…

Judy Robbins was not a woman to be put off and that's exactly what she felt Lori had tried to do on the phone. After finishing a few household tasks, she drove to Lori's house, hoping she'd given her friend enough time to gather her wits. Judy wasn't sure what was going on but something had happened with Lori….something more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the political dinner gone bad the previous night. And Judy was going to get to the bottom of it….whatever _it_ was.

"Judy, really…I'm fine," Lori insisted as she opened the front door to Judy's knock.

"Yeah? You sure? Because you didn't sound fine when I called earlier."

"I am," Lori declared as she led the way to the kitchen. "Want some tea?"

"Thanks," Judy accepted. "And then I want to hear all about last night."

"You've probably already heard it all on the news," Lori insisted as she began preparing the tea. "It is all over the news."

"Yeah, I've heard the news reports and also what Al knew from the talk around PD. But there's more, isn't there? For instance, you kissed Jim Brass behind the ambulance last night, didn't you?"

Lori's shoulders drooped. "You heard about that?"

"Yeah, I did. David, Al's assistant, arrived just as you were lip locking . So what happened next?"

Lori shrugged. "Nothing….he had to finish …whatever it was that needed doing there and I came home."

Judy cast a long suspicious look at her friend. "Uh huh….and then?"

"Um…he'd said we needed to talk and so…"

"You got together after he was finished at the scene," Judy finished.

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And, we had a couple of drinks," Lori said quietly, desperately trying to remember what happened after that.

"And?"

"I had too much to drink," Lori confessed.

"And?"

"And I don't remember the rest."

Judy looked at her friend speculatively. "Did he stay over?"

"No. I woke up alone…but I don't think, I mean…." she hesitated as a flash of her undressing crossed her mind. "I probably embarrassed him."

"Jim Brass? Embarrassed? You really don't know much about him, do you?"

"Uh…no but…. Well, I kind of…."

"What, Lori? What did you do?"

I sort of…well….I striped in front of him…" she confessed reluctantly, her face turning a bright red.

Judy started to chuckle. "Oh my god…you didn't?"

Mortified, Lori simply nodded yes.

"Then what?" Judy asked warily.

"I um…. Don't really remember. I sort of remember him….on top of me and….the other side of the bed was rumpled when I woke up."

"You mean you…. You and he?"

"I don't know," Lori moaned. "I mean, he was…on top but I think he had his clothes on and…I didn't feel like…well, like we'd….you know…."

"Oh Lori…." Judy empathized. "Is that what you wanted to happen?"

Lori frowned in thought. "I don't know. I mean, I did come on to him pretty strong and I do feel this attraction but…. I just don't trust men anymore."

"Al says he doesn't put much trust in women either," Judy shared. "Maybe …maybe you need to forget about him."

"I know. But there's just something about him."

"Yeah, like there's something about a bad rash," Judy groused.

Lori looked at her friend. "He's not like that. If I'm right…I mean after everything I did to… to try and…"

"Seduce him?" Judy asked bluntly, her eyes twinkling.

"Yeah. And if my instincts are right and he didn't… I mean, most guys would've seen an opportunity and…. Well, I just don't think he did."

Judy sighed heavily. "You've got it bad, girl."

"I do, don't I?" Lori agreed miserably. "What am I going to do, Judy?" she asked wretchedly. "I can't even remember if we…if…well, what happened last night. That's not like me…it's like all my good sense goes out the window when he's around. I say stupid things and act stupidly…and now, I was so nervous I had too much to drink. He must think I'm awful."

Judy chuckled. "So much for you being done with men."

"I was…am…except for _him_. It started as a whim but now…" she sighed, "he just kind of grew on me and now, I'm in over my head."

"So talk to him. Take the time to get to know him, really know him. You might decide he's like all the rest after all."

"You're right. It's just… I feel like I'm in high school again… like I'm just going to die if he doesn't like me," she moaned. "How did I let myself get in so deep?"

"Look, I know I've said this before," Judy said softly. "But be careful with him. You could get hurt big time and if you get through his barriers, so could he."

"I know," Lori replied. "But I can't seem to let it go."


	16. Chapter 16

Brass was in his office, getting an earful from Ecklie about not answering the Sheriff's calls when his phone rang. _Thank god,_ he thought as his eyes rolled and he picked up the phone. "Brass…"

The call was to a shooting in a residential neighborhood; one down and on the way to the hospital. Jim arrived with the CSIs pulling up behind him. Officer Cole met Jim at the front door. "The wife's in the living room," Cole told Brass. She came home and found her husband on the floor, blood everywhere."

"Names?" Brass asked.

"Victim is Jerry Hier. The wife is Melanie."

"Okay, thanks. Be sure everything outside is secure and keep the damn neighbors and press away."

"Okay," Cole nodded and then strode off.

Jim took a deep breath before stepping into the house. He felt Nick Stokes ease up next to him. "Mrs. Hier, I'm Jim Brass LVPD. This is Nick Stoke from the Crime Lab. We have a few questions and then I'll have someone drive you over to the hospital." Jim watched the woman digest the information. She was late 30's to maybe early 40's, dark hair and eyes. Plump but in the right places, he thought.

"Yes, but please….be quick. I want to get there in case…you know."

"Right. Officer Cole told me you arrived home to find your husband on the floor?"

"Yes, that's right. He called me when he left his office earlier. I had a couple of stops to make, so he was going to call for take out. You don't think the take out driver did this, do you?"

"We don't know; but information you give us can help us catch whoever did this," Brass answered.

He continued questioning, getting basic facts and contact information. Then he called Officer Jones over to take her to the hospital. Turning to Nick, Jim grunted. "So what do you think?"

"Well, not much yet. I'll get busy processing the scene and hopefully something will turn up. It does look like someone broke in the back door though. I'll start there and follow the trail."

"Okay," Jim agreed. "I'm going to talk to neighbors," he added a he stepped away.

It was turning into a long night. Brass spent almost two hours talking to neighbors while Nick worked in the house. Finally, Jim finished talking to the last one and headed back inside. "Well, the neighbors weren't very helpful. Most said his car was already in the drive when they got home. No reports of bad blood between him and the wife; all said he seems like a stable guy but keeps to himself a lot…not unfriendly but not overly so either." Jim watched as Nick lifted a print. "You got something?"

"Yeah, lots of prints. I'll have to print the wife and the vic before I can make any sense of them though. Also found a broken picture frame with a picture of the Hiers. Looks like it was picked up and thrown."

"Okay, well… I'll head over to the hospital to check on him and see when he can talk to me…if ever."

"Yeah….good luck with that," Nick said sadly.

"Yeah," Jim nodded as he walked away.

The hospital was having a busy night. There'd been a wreck on the Interstate and a stabbing behind one of the bars. He found out that Jerry Hier had just come out of surgery and was in recovery. Jim caught up with his doctor on the surgical floor.

"How is he?" Jim asked after he'd introduced himself and explained his presence.

Dr. Chung nodded somberly. "I am afraid you will have a homicide by morning. We did all we could in surgery but there is just too much damage. I knew you would want the bullet, or what's left of it so I left it with the nurse's desk."

"Any chance I'll get to talk to him?" Jim asked.

"I doubt it. I don't anticipate that he will wake up. I'm sorry I can't do more," he finished.

"Okay, thanks Doctor." Jim said grimly. He collected the bullet from the nurse at the station and called the lab to let them know he had it and would bring it by.

Stepping into the elevator to head out, he spotted Lori down the hall. She looked busy and he was relieved that she didn't see him. As the elevator doors closed and the car descended, he wondered why he felt so relieved.

The Hier case was turning into a nightmare. Doctor Chung's prediction had only been slightly off. Jerry Hier lasted a full twenty-four hours before slipping away. He never regained consciousness. The wife had remained by his bed, refusing to give up hope until he breathed his last breath. Then she had collapsed from exhaustion and despair.

The bullet was from a .22 and from the markings, forensics had narrowed it to probably coming from a Smith and Wesson. But the round had been mangled as it tore into Jerry Hier's body, so there was not 100 per cent accuracy in the assessment. Still, it had given them a place to start looking.

Jim had followed several leads, some from people who knew the Hiers, some from Jerry's work; none to fruition. The prints Nick found all tied to the Hiers or family and close friends, so while there were possibilities, those were likely to be dead ends as well. Still, they kept looking until all their leads had been exhausted. Frustrated and angry, Jim put the case file on ice as other cases demanded his attention.

After working two weeks straight, he finally had a couple of days off and he needed them. _Wasn't so hard ten years ago,_ Jim mused as he stopped at the liquor store for his favorite brand. As he eyed the bottles of Scotch on the shelves, he remembered that night at Lori's and the Scotch she'd served up. Finding the distinctive label on the shelf, he whistled as he read the price. Carefully, he slid it back into place and pulled his usual from the next shelf. After paying for the bottle, he slid behind the wheel of his car and headed home.

He hadn't thought about Lori much since seeing her in the hospital the night Jerry Hier was shot; he hadn't had time to think about much of anything. But as he drove, images from that night at her house played in his mind. He was glad he hadn't taken her up on her offer for him to stay the night but it had awakened something in him… a yearning he hadn't felt in a very long time.

At home, he poured himself a drink and sat in his favorite chair. But he was restless. His eyes wandered to a photo album on the top shelf of his bookcase and he felt compelled to retrieve it. Back in his chair, he sipped from his glass as he opened the book. After turning a few pages, he found the one he was looking for. Staring up from the page at him was a much younger Jim Brass. And on the younger man's arm was a bride, his bride, Nancy.

He took another sip as he remembered that day. She had been beautiful and he'd been so nervous but full of hope and big dreams for the future. The first couple of years had been good, he mused. And then he'd gotten stuck working nights. Nancy hadn't liked that and harped on it all the time. But he needed to do it for awhile. Then came the detective's exam and he'd passed. Something about that bothered her too, even though it meant he was home most nights.

Another couple of years and it seemed like he couldn't do anything that pleased her. The only place they had any connection at all was in the bed; that had still been good until he'd been assigned to vice. Everything fell apart after that.

Ellie was born in the midst of that. At first Jim had hoped for a miracle and that Ellie was actually his. He got to believe that myth until her seventh birthday. He and Nancy had gotten into a vicious argument that night and Nancy had spilled the beans. He'd managed to look the other way for a long time but he couldn't ignore the hole in his heart after that. By Ellie's fourteenth birthday, Jim was firmly established in Vegas. And he'd sworn off love or anything resembling it forever.

As he flipped through the pictures of his failed marriage, he remembered that there had been some good times in the beginning. _It always starts out good though,_ he reminded himself. _It's the long term that'll get you._

Closing the photo album with a force he hadn't realized he was feeling he tossed it aside. Throwing back the last of his drink he grunted his frustration. And then his mind wandered to Lori. He'd dated, hooked up with and/or slept with numerous women in the last twenty years. Granted, not so many in recent years. Something about getting shot had changed his perspective and he'd become more selective about who he spent time with. Some had been unbelievably sexy and had gotten under his skin, but he'd managed to avoid deep entanglements. But Lori Messing, he realized, threatened all that. He needed to stay away from her….far away.


	17. Chapter 17

Jim's resolve lasted all of two days. He stood uncertainly at the entrance of the coffee shop, staring at the back of her head. _What are the odds, _he contemplated, _that I'd run into her here?_ He considered making a break for it before she saw him but something held him in his place. And some greater force pulled him toward her.

"Um…Lori?" he said quietly as he stepped up to her, his mind recreating the feelings of her body over his lap, her lips on his, and the fire she ignited within him.

Turning in surprise, her face lit up and then flushed a bright red. "Jim?"

He glanced toward her coffee cup and the newspaper that was open on her table. She'd been here a while and he guessed she'd leave soon. He could be off the hook if he wanted to be. Or…."Mind if I join you?" he asked.

She looked stunned… and stunning, if he was willing to be honest. Not many women could appear in a coffee shop this early in the morning, no make-up, and wearing simple jeans and shirt and look like she looked this morning. "You…want to …" she seemed tongue tied.

"Join you… yeah, if you don't mind," he said, trying not to sound as nervous as he was feeling.

"Uh, yeah…I'd….I'd like that," she said as she began to gather up the paper to make room for him.

"Okay, well… I'll just get a cup of joe and be back," he said lightly, pointing at the counter. She smiled and nodded.

He added a Danish to his order and brought her a muffin…banana like he'd seen her eat the morning they had breakfast together. Joining her back at the table, he carefully placed the muffin in front of her. "Didn't know if you'd eaten anything yet," he said gently.

"No, I haven't," she replied. "Thank you." A small smile crept over her as she eyed the muffin.

Jim sat across from her. "So, how have you been?"

"Okay," she said, blushing again. "I um… that night you came over…I'm sorry."

Jim looked at her thoughtfully over his cup of coffee. "For what? And I should be apologizing. I promised to call you the next day and I didn't."

Looking chagrined, she stared into her cup. "You did? I honestly don't remember. I um…don't usually have that much to drink."

Grinning, Jim winked. "I guessed as much…"

"Still, I do remember behaving…horribly and putting you in a position…well….it had to be embarrassing for you."

"Embarrassing?" Jim chuckled. "I wouldn't say that. Although, it has been awhile since I've had a private show like that."

"Sure it was embarrassing," she drawled, ignoring his obvious tease. "I was way out of line. Besides, I don't imagine you have to get women drunk to …to …"

Jim's smile disappeared. "No, I don't operate that way. And I'm not sure I like the thought that a woman would have to be drunk to want to give me a performance like that either."

"Jim, I didn't mean…I hope you didn't take it that way." She sighed heavily. "I keep putting my foot in it, don't I?"

Jim studied her face. She was genuinely dismayed… no games, on hidden meanings. "Look, Lori…" he started.

"I know. I'll save us both the embarrassment of you having to repeat it. You're not interested. It's oaky, I get it." She seemed to be shaking.

"You cold?" he asked, concerned by the change.

"What….no, I just…." Color crawled up her neck and into her face as she looked away, chagrinned.

His brow twitched as a quiet battle was fought within him. For some reason he evoked strong responses in this woman; responses that frightened him. "Look Lori, I wish we could talk to each other without one of us feeling like a dumbass."

Chuckling, Lori flushed again. "Um yeah. Me too. You … you're not like other men I've known. Judy says if I got to really know you, I might find out you _are_ like all other men." _Damn Lori, quit fumbling like that._

Jim looked at her perplexed. "I'm not like other men? You saying I'm worse than most?"

"Yeah…um….NO. Um… I told her you aren't like other men, not such a jackass."

Amused, Jim smirked. "Don't let my ex hear you say that."

"Okay, if we can change the conversation."

With a subtle wink, Jim nodded. "Deal."

"So how have you been?" she asked.

Jim grinned mischievously. "Okay except I can't seem to get enough sleep."

"You're having trouble sleeping?" Lori asked, her medical training kicking in as she studied his face for signs of sleep deprivation.

"Yeah, feels like Christmas with those visions of sugar plums that keep dancing in my head," Jim teased.

Her face blanching and then turning several shades of red, Lori sputtered. "Oh…um…ohhh…"

Watching her reaction, Jim struggled to hold his amusement inside. "Yeah…oh, yum..."

Looking flustered, Lori hurriedly finished her coffee and muffin and looked at Jim apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I have to be at the hospital soon and I need to run home and change first. But …this was nice," she said unconvincingly.

Jim grinned. "Yeah, it was nice. Maybe we'll do it again sometime."

Her smile was as bright as the sunshine outside. "I'd like that…sometime." She paused as if she were thinking. Then making a decision, she plunged ahead. "Thank you. You could've just disappeared or ignored me or something. But you didn't and teasing not withstanding, you made my morning."

Suddenly feeling happier himself, Jim winked. "Thanks. The day is looking better for me too."

One last smile and she was gone. As Jim watched her leave, things dimmed for him a little. She really had brightened his morning. Shaking his head, he coached himself again. _She's trouble. Don't even think about it…_

On the phone with Judy Robbins that evening, Lori told her friend about the chance meeting at the coffee shop. Judy laughed over the sugar plums comments and then asked Lori how she felt about the whole thing.

"I don't know, Judy. He was teasing but he wasn't really being mean. And there was this sadness about him when he mentioned his ex. I wonder what she did to hurt him so bad. And when I tried to apologize for my behavior …you know, when I had to much to drink that night, he … well, he wasn't angry."

"Lori, you showed him your birthday suit; what's there for him to be angry about?"

"Yeah, I know…I mean, I hope…well….that he….liked what he saw," she ended quietly.

Laughing, Judy couldn't believe her friend. "Oh, I'm sure he did," she answered dryly.

"He said…when he told me that's he's been having trouble sleeping; that it's like Christmas with sugar plums dancing in his head," Lori confessed. "He was teasing me, I know. But…"

"Sugar plums, eh? Wonder what he was saying; I mean sugar plums?"

"Yeah. Judy, I think I'm in love."

Oh Lori," Judy groaned. "Go to sleep. Maybe by morning you'll be over it."

That night Doc Robbins snickered when he saw Jim at a possible homicide. "Judy talked to Lori today," Doc started.

"That's nice," Jim replied unconcernedly. He really wasn't in the mood to talk with Doc about Lori Messing. The afternoon had been spent with him trying to get the woman out of his brain so he could sleep. Consequently he was feeling a bit cranky.

"She said you two ran into each other this morning…well, yesterday morning now, I suppose."

"What's your point, Doc…what are you getting at?" Jim sniped, tired and tired of Doc's interest.

Doc smirked at Jim. "Sugar plums? Cute, Jim."

His brow furrowed as Jim tried to understand where Doc was going with the conversation. Then, simply fed up, Jim snapped. "Yeah. And I thought the conversation was between the two of us. If I'd wanted you or Judy in the middle, I'd have called."

Al Robbins caught Jim's state of mind and backed off. "Okay…but you know how women talk."

"Yeah…what can you tell me about the D.B?"

Doc turned his attention back to the body and gave Jim the details. The rest of the night was spent with Jim trying to chase down clues. The next morning he was tired, frustrated, and confused about why anything Lori said or did mattered to him so much.

Even so, he found himself heading down in the morgue instead of out the door, looking for Al Robbins. "I um…just wanted to ask," Jim said when Doc looked at him warily, "How Lori is doing. You said she'd been kidnapped a few years back. The night at Palacio had to bring some of that back…"

Al Robbins studied Jim carefully. "She's doing better than I thought she would. I think she's been so worried about the events with you that night that she hasn't dwelled on the darker side."

Jim absorbed Doc's comments and then relieved, he smirked. "Okay…and thanks for not making me the dark side."

Doc chuckled as Jim turned and left.

Jim laughed inwardly a few minutes later when he pulled into the parking lot for the coffee shop. Without thinking about it, he'd driven there. But as he sat, staring at the front doors, he smirked. "You're looking for her, dumbass." Throwing the car into reverse, he pulled out and headed home, his mind working overtime teasing him with ideas of what might have happened if she'd been there and he had gone in. By the time he made it home he knew he was in for a second day of little sleep and Lori messing with his head.

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><p>I do appreciate all those who drop a few lines after each chapter. Thank you. And if you are reading this, then many thanks to you too! I hope you found a little humor in this chapter. And now, on to the next...<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Thank you many many times over to those who reviewed tha last installment. This one is short but fills a need, lol. I'll try to post agian on Monday or Tuesday. Happy reading;)

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><p>Jim was about half way through his shift that night when his cell rang.<p>

"Hey Jim," Nick Stokes greeted. "I just got word that Dayshift had a case yesterday that might be of interest to us."

"Dayshift?" Jim sighed. He really preferred to not work with them.

"Yeah. Has a lot of similarities with the Hier case…husband killed while wife's not home. The women look similar. No useable prints, broken picture of the couple… other things. Anyway, just thought I'd give you a head's up."

"Yeah, thanks Nick," Jim said as his thoughts shuffled through the facts of the Hier case, not that they had many to work with. "I'll look into it."

Jim shot an e-mail to Ecklie requesting that he be kept in the loop on the new case, just in case the two were related.

The next evening Jim was greeted by the Under-Sheriff, who held the case file for the new case. Jim pulled the file on the Hier case and the two sat in Jim's office to go over the details.

"Yeah Jim, I think they are related. There's not anything substantive to go on yet, but I want you and Detective Mason working together on this.

"Sure," Jim replied as he looked once again at the picture of Melanie Hier. Then reaching across his desk, he retrieved the file of the new case, Bill Braeburn and his wife, Sally. Opening the folder, he scanned the picture of the wife. His eyes darted between the two women, taking in the features of first one and then the other.

"You found something?" Ecklie asked.

"Uh, probably not much," Jim answered distractedly. "The two women look alike." And that disturbed Jim deeply because as he studied the pictures, he realized that either woman could be mistaken for Lori. Both had light blue-green eyes with slightly arching brows, the same high cheekbones and elegant nose, the only obvious difference was that Sally had a dimpled chin. Their smiles were even similar. Jim frowned as his gut began to churn, his mind whirring.

"What is it?" Conrad prodded.

"I'm not sure, it's just…what if the husbands aren't the real targets? What if they are just obstacles in the way? What if this guy is really after the women?"

"Wouldn't he have gone back for Melanie Hier then?"

"Yeah, except she wasn't left alone for days…family and all. And then she left to go spend time with her sister."

"So you're thinking this guy might try to go after Sally Braeburn?"

"We need to put a guy on her, just in case."

"I don't know, Jim. That's pretty slim reasoning and we really don't have that kind of room in the budget. Things are tight as it is."

"Have Mason talk to her, see if she can't stay with friends or something for awhile."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Meantime, we need to catch this guy." Ecklie said as he stood to leave.

Jim glanced once more at the pictures and thought again of Lori. "Yeah, we do."

Jim Brass didn't sleep well again the following afternoon. Visions of sugar plums were replaced by slow motion videos of some nut job getting to her. When his alarm finally went off, Jim sat up and sleepily rubbed his face. _Damn, get her out of your head, _he thought. With a sigh, he accepted that it was too late, somehow she'd gotten under his thick skin and now he was going to find a way to live with the itch.


	19. Chapter 19

So glad you are still reading! I hope you enjoy this one too;-)

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><p>He was standing in the hall, just outside his office when he spotted Lori walking toward him the next night. Admitting quietly to himself that she looked better in the flesh than she had in his thoughts and dreams all day, he numbly accepted that he was indeed captivated. But just because he was hooked didn't mean he would do anything about it because if he did, things would even get worse. He knew that; he knew it because he'd lived it.<p>

She walked right up to him, her eyes taking in every inch of him as she approached. The heads turning as she made her way down the hall hadn't been lost on Jim. She had dressed to impress and he was most definitely impressed. Her slacks were skin tight, the silken fabric glistening over her best curves. And her sweater…damn, her sweater….The collar dipped to show just a titillating hint of what she had to offer, revealing a bit of cleavage but nothing overstated. And the way it hugged her…assets… forced Jim to regulate his breathing. There was nothing he enjoyed watching more than an attractive woman who knew how to showcase her assets and that night Lori Messing was an artist. Briefly he wondered why he hadn't realized that before.

"Jim," she said in a husky, suggestion loaded voice. The glint in her eye unmistakable.

_Where the hell is this coming from? _He wondered.

Jim needed to do something…anything to release the sudden surge of energy that shot through him. But he was stuck. The most obvious response was wildly inappropriate and he didn't have a cold shower or punching bag handy. So he clinched his fingers and looked into her eyes, her smoldering, tempting eyes. "Lori," he replied with a low gravely voice.

"We need to talk," she commanded.

Blinking, Jim wondered what happened to the blushing, shy woman that he'd met on several occasions. "We can go in my office," he said, stepping back to open the door and lead her in. Once they were inside, he pointed to a chair and invited her to sit.

Once she was settled, he leaned against his desk, in front of her. "So, you want to talk?"

"I'm sorry," she began.

"Uh…okay?" She was confusing him again.

"I heard you weren't pleased that I'd told Judy about the…" she glanced away and turned red before looking back at him.

_There she is…_Jim thought happily, as he saw her hesitancy. He forced his face to remain benign, not revealing his inner delight at her discomfiture.

"…Sugar plums," she finished diffidently.

_Uh-oh, here come the tears…_

"But I…I didn't meant to…it's just…. Well, you confuse me," she finally blurted out.

Shooting her his best look of innocence, he answered. "What? I confuse you?" _Glad to know that I'm not the only one._

"You do, she answered, still pink. "And besides…I need to know…for certain…"

"Need to know what, Lori?" he asked softly. As much as he delighted in teasing her, something told him to back off.

"That night…when I kissed you and you came to my house…"

"Yeah?"

"I don't remember…I mean, really don't remember…what happened. I mean, the bed looked like…well, like...you had been in it. And I do remember you…close to me. But the next morning it didn't seem like…well…like we had…um…you know. And I really need to know because…I'm late and…so I ….need to know." She was blushing all over and her eyes shot to the floor as she waited for his response. "I got the impression at the coffee shop that we hadn't but you never said, directly…" she added.

Studying her, taking in her nervousness and embarrassment, he was glad he'd decided not to tease her. She needed the truth, no games. "We kissed; that's all we did. I was trying to get you to bed…to sleep it off; you'd had too much to drink and you pulled me down on top of you after you'd… given your performance. I fell asleep for a couple of hours, but that's all it was…sleep."

You're sure…absolutely sure that we didn't… you know?"

A grin grew on Jim's face. "Babe, I'm pretty sure I would remember that. And I'd like to believe you would too. No, we didn't…you know." His eyes twinkled with mirth, even though he was tring to behave.

She was staring at him, bemused.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just… I was going crazy worrying and…did you just call me Babe?"

"Yeah, I did."

She smiled shyly. "No one's ever called me babe before," she commented before studying a spot on the floor.

Suddenly growing more serious, Jim thought about her question…the reason she'd come to see him. "You're late? As in… you thought you might be pregnant?" Alarms were going off in his head.

"I thought…I mean, I'm not always regular but I thought…if we had… but you said we didn't so it just must be my messed up hormones." He thought he detected a hint of disappointment from her.

Jim frowned. "So you're not pregnant? You're sure?"

Lori looked stunned. "I…didn't really think I was but I had to know if there was a chance."

"So, you aren't just narrowing the field?" Jim's gut clinched as his skepticism settled in.

"Narrowing the field? What? What field?"

"Guys who might be the baby's father?" Jim growled.

Lori looked like he had kicked her, she looked so wounded. "What? There is no…field," she snapped.

Closing his eyes to collect himself, Jim sighed. "Yeah…I'm…sorry. I just…" Stopping himself, he let out another breath. "I'm sorry," he said again. "And you don't have to worry about having a baby…with me anyway." _It's not like I ever got a woman pregnant, even when I wanted to, _he thought remembering trying with his ex-wife.

She looked at him thoroughly crushed, he thought. "Okay. That's good to know. I um… I'll leave you then, to your work. And…thank you," she said as she stood. "I appreciate your…straightforwardness with me."

He watched her leave with a gnawing in his gut. _She'd thought she might be…that we might have…_Shaking his head, he tried to push his feelings down. The last few minutes had been a roller coaster ride and he was shaken from it. It had been a long time, thirty years in fact, since he'd considered fatherhood. And he knew he was too old to be thinking along those lines now. But she had opened old wounds with her question…._Still, with her_…_Don't even think it. Just get that thought out of your head, _he admonished himself. _Besides, after the look she gave you at the end she's over whatever it was she felt in the first place. Way to go, Brass…_

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><p><em>Okay, I have a question. IF these two ever do the horizontal tango (haven't gotten to that part yet, lol) should we do it under the current rating or do we move over into the "M" rated realm? I'm all ears...<em>


	20. Chapter 20

Another shortie. Just had to go play in Jim's head some more, lol. More next week;-)

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><p>He was supposed to be working on case reviews. Instead, he found himself turned toward the shelves behind him, his eyes scanning the various citations and awards on them. He'd always tried to be good at his job, one that he thought mattered. But he scanned his shelves he realized there wasn't much in his life besides the job.<p>

Annie Kramer had said it several years back "It's all I got." He'd replied that if it was all she had, she'd better get it right. And he'd tried very hard to do that in his own life, but right now he felt pretty empty. His eyes turned to the pictures of Ellie when she was a little girl. They were the only traces of his personal life…of his failure at a personal life. As he stared at the pictures and then scanned the shelves again, he realized it wasn't enough. Annie, Nancy, Ellie...they were all evidence of his shortcomings.

"Jim?" he heard from the doorway. Turning, he saw Nick Stokes standing there, looking worried. "You're not thinking of leaving too, are you?" Nick asked.

Pulling his thoughts away from the shelves and the life he didn't have, Jim frowned at the younger man. "What….why would I?"

Nick stepped into his office. "It's just… I'm thinking you're next. I mean, Grissom was a surprise and really, so was Catherine, although I think I could have seen it coming. I always thought you'd be the first to leave."

Jim grunted. "Because I'm older…"

"Well, kind of. And…I dunno, I just thought you'd be the one to get fed up first."

Jim's mouth twitched. "Nicky, I was fed up years ago. But no, I'm not thinking of leaving yet…just thinking."

"Good, because I'm not ready to lose someone else…not yet anyway."

Jim chuckled at that. "I don't intend to get lost, Nick."

"Good. You'd be missed."

Jim grinned. "Thanks Nick, but you guys would keep on keepin' on. You're good, you don't need me."

"Maybe not in the way you're thinkin', but we do need you," Nick replied. "But...Okay," Nick drawled in his soft Texas voice. "See ya later then…"

"Yeah, later." Jim replied sadly as he watched the younger man walk. Then with a subtle nod, he silently acknowledged that Nick was a good blend of everything he and Grissom had taught the younger man. _Maybe I did get something right... but then, that's the job. _With a sigh, his eyes flickered back to his shelves._ What am I going to do about the rest?_


	21. Chapter 21

Okay, I've read and reread for mistakes but I know as soon as I post, I'll find another, lol. Anyway, this one's longer. Maybe you'll feel rewarded for your patience through the last two? Happy reading!

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><p>Jim signed out on time for a change. Luckily a new case hadn't come in and he was free to leave. Swinging by the coffee shop, he picked up two cups of coffee and a banana muffin, along with a couple of doughnuts. Then he headed for Lori's house.<p>

The first time he'd been there, the only time, he hadn't really taken it in. But it was a huge house for one person. He knew she was loaded and the house reflected that in a tasteful, understated way. A maid answered the door and let him in.

Ms. Lori is upstairs," the maid informed him. "I'll tell her you are here." She left him standing in the foyer while she made her way up the steps.

Lori appeared a few minutes later. "Jim?" she said softly from the top of the stairs.

Jim looked up at her and felt his heart swell into his throat. "I um…brought breakfast," he said holding up the bag. "I hoped maybe we could talk."

She tightened her robe and began down the steps, floating he thought. At the bottom, she stopped and looked at him curiously. "Talk? About what?" She led him to the back and into the kitchen.

"After your visit to my office…I did a lot of thinking…"

"About what?" She asked as she pulled a couple of small plates from her cabinet. "I would think you'd be relieved; you're off the hook, so to speak."

"You seemed upset…disappointed even that we hadn't slept together," he hesitated before continuing with his line of thought, "…that you aren't pregnant."

"Not upset so much, it's just…I'm not getting any younger and the thought of a baby was kind of nice. But I think I knew it was nothing." She motioned for him to sit on one of the stools at the counter and then reached in the fridge for orange juice, pouring them both a glass.

"And if we had…if you were pregnant?" he asked.

She looked at him, beseeching…questioning. He knew she didn't really understand what he was asking or why. But he had to know.

"I guess that would have depended on your reaction," she finally answered thoughtfully. "If you didn't want it, I…it would break my heart, I think. But I would find a way to deal with things…raise it on my own."

"You'd…keep it?" he choked out.

"I would," she replied softly, wistfully.

"And if I did?" Jim was sitting on needles, her answer much more important than he ever thought it would be.

"If you did want it? I'd be… so very happy. But since we didn't…I'm not… so, I suppose it doesn't really matter." Then she looked up at him oddly. "Are you saying you would want that… a baby?"

Taking a deep breath, Jim pondered the question. "I'm too old for that now. But … if you were…it means a lot to me that…well…" he slumped, not able to fully frame words for how he was feeling.

"What Jim? Why is this so important?" She sipped her juice as she waited for his reply.

"I um… my ex, she…" Jim had turned pale and was visibly upset.

"Oh my god, your ex didn't want your baby? What did she do…get an abortion?"

"No, not that…at least that I know of. She had an affair… and a baby. But it wasn't mine. I didn't find out until later. I raised her as mine, think of her as my daughter but…she isn't. And when I finally left, the last thing I heard was …she said she was glad she'd never had _my_ baby; that she couldn't think of anything worse than having my baby."

"No wonder it still hurts so much..." She studied his face, her eyes wide open from the epiphany. "But you have to believe she was speaking from anger; that when things were good between you, she would have wanted…"

Guarding his emotions carefully, Jim nodded. "It does still hurt," he admitted. "But no, she never wanted…." He took a deep breath. "She made sure she was on the pill and if she'd forgotten, she wouldn't let me near her until she thought it was safe. She kept telling me we weren't ready yet but...I don't think she was ever ready for a baby, especially mine. And that's why your answer ... why it means so much to me."

"Surely there have been other women who..." she took a breath, trying to rein in her own emotions, _how could she have done that to him, _she asked herself. "…who would've wanted ..?"

Chagrinned, Jim shrugged. "I doubt it." He took a bite of his doughnut to cover his discomfort. "I haven't always been this nice, easy going guy you see now," he said lightly, trying to diffuse the heaviness that the conversation had taken on.

Lori looked appalled. "I just can't understand why she would…how could she do that to you?"

"My marriage was a mess," he said heavily. "It's not something I like thinking about."

"Obviously," she agreed. "But did you ever consider that the problem wasn't you and marriage but that the problem was her?"

Jim snorted. "I know it was. But I tried as hard as I knew how, in the beginning anyway. I just don't know if my job and all the baggage that goes with it works in a marriage. I've seen some guys make it happen, but I've seen a lot of busted relationships too." Jim sighed. "I mean, sometimes when I go home, all I want is a shot of Scotch and to be left alone for awhile, time to …." Jim searched for the right way to describe how it felt some days.

"Decompress?" she finished.

Swallowing some of his juice, he looked at her appreciatively. "Yeah…decompress. Sometimes the cases are too gruesome to explain; not that I'd want to. Sometimes it's just the scum I have to deal with… other times, it just seems so futile; anyway, it's not something a guy wants to come home and share with the family."

Lori swallowed a bite of her muffin. "Yeah, sometimes I felt that when I was practicing…still do. I need to get it out of my system but I don't really want to talk about it."

"Yeah," Jim agreed, relieved that she seemed to understand.

"That day we met at Judy's…"

"Yeah?" Jim looked at her guardedly as he took another bite.

"You were so intent on apologizing, making things right again. I kind of got the feeling that's who you are." Jim looked at her, puzzled. "You're a knight in shining armor at heart, aren't you?" she asked.

Surprised, Jim held up his hand in denial. "A knight…no way. I'm just trying to do the job and stay inside the line doing it. Don't make me into something I'm not."

Lori snickered. "I've googled you, Jim. I know what you've done…the citations. And I'm very impressed by them and by your humility."

"Don't make too much of what you read. I've made my share of mistakes too. Hopefully in the end it all balances out." Wanting to change the subject he asked, "but what about you? A doctor …and Al tells me you're on the board at the hospital and involved in some other charitable things. You were at the charity ball…"

"Family obligations, really. Dad was on the board, so now I'm on the board. The clinic is the same kind of thing. The only thing I'm involved with that's for me is stalking wayward police captains and messing with them."

Guffawing over his last bite of doughnut, Jim looked at her amused. After swallowing, he nodded. "So, filling Daddy's shoes," Jim summed up.

She slid off her stool and stood directly in front of him. "I don't want to talk about Daddy and I don't think you came here to talk about Daddy either," she said huskily. "What I do want to talk about is you calling me _Babe_ earlier."

Eyes sparkling, Jim grinned. "I called you Babe?"

"You know you did," she answered, stepping closer into him. "And I want to know what you meant by it…am I your babe?" She looked directly into his eyes with her own sparkling ones.

Considering the implications of the question, Jim decided he wasn't ready to answer that one yet. So he deflected. "You like being called Babe?" he asked. "Cause I didn't take you for a _Babe_ kind of woman."

Pressing in closer, so that she had her knee between his, she reached for him, her hand resting on his shoulder. "Normally I wouldn't be. But I have this notion that being _your Babe_ is something very special." Her complexion was several shades of pink and until he looked straight into her eyes, Jim briefly wondered if it was her shyness or that she was really that heated up.

Her nearness, her gentle assurance, and the unconcealed desire in her eyes rocked Jim. He'd been playing her like a yo-yo, moving in and then moving away since they'd met, finding her frustrating and fascinating at the same time and also knowing she could burn him like he hadn't allowed himself to be hurt in years. But this was it…decision time. Either he walked away now and never looked back or he jumped in…all in.

Meeting her gaze, he took a deep breath. She was mesmerizing, her emotions apparent in her expression. She wanted him and was excited about it, and she was scared too. But she wanted _him_, not just a good time. She wanted a connection, not a one night stand. She wanted…forever, or at least a shot at it. And suddenly, he knew he wanted that too; had wanted it all along but had been too afraid to open up to that with anyone since… well, in years.

Not understanding his unspoken thoughts, Lori finally looked to the side and began to lean away. Her hand dropped and her weight shifted for her to take a step back when without thinking, he reached for her. "Lori," he whispered roughly.

Her face lit as she looked back at him. He saw the tears that had gathered in her eyes and the light that glistened through them. Yeah, she wanted _him_. "I'm not sure how this will work, if it even can work, but…" he started.

She was on him in an instant, her lips covering his, her arms around his neck, and her body pressed to his. And with all that physical stimulation the one thing he could think was how great it felt to hold someone who cared that it was him, Jim Brass and all the baggage that he dragged with him not just an 'any willing guy will do' kind of woman.

They spent the morning together, talking; and sometimes not talking but comfortable with the silence. Lunch was on her patio. Later they moved inside for dessert. She had pulled ice cream out of the freezer and was about to scoop some up when Jim covered her hand. She looked up at, surprised. Their eyes met. As if in slow motion, Jim leaned into her, his lips seeking hers. The kiss was warm and exploratory at first but grew into a slow burn that left him breathless. His hand went to the back of her head from the sheer need to connect further with her. As their lips parted, his lingered over hers, their breaths intermingling, their closeness sending bolts of electricity crackling through him, he whispered her name. Heart pounding, his breathing rapid, Jim stood with his eyes searching hers, looking for answers. Why was she so interested? Would it…could it last? And how the hell did she get to him ... making him feel this way?

Her expression was open and trusting. She reached up to caress the side of his face as she returned his vocal caress and whispered his name, as gently as he had whispered hers. "I… I didn't expect to …" she began but then stepped away, breaking their contact and leaving a feeling of emptiness behind.

Jim frowned as he watched her move away, her head turning as she stared out the window. A look of contemplation was followed by sadness as she stood there, looking very alone.

"Lori?" he asked, taking a tentative step toward her.

He watched her take a deep breath, saw the conflicting expressions that flitted across her features, and then saw when resolve settled in. "I…" she sighed again. "I was thinking about when Lucy and I were kidnapped. Not really thinking about it but… just…kind of like a flashback."

"Al told me you'd been kidnapped. But he didn't tell me that anyone was with you."

"Lucy is my sister. She was sixteen and I was in college…twenty."

Jim stepped closer and gathered her close to him, wrapping his arms around her, his huge hands caressing gently. "Where is she now…your sister?"

"We never talked about it much. But I know it messed her up. Lucy went away to college and has never looked back. Can't say I blame her." Lori finished as she turned and buried her head in his chest.

Swallowing Jim nodded. "Maybe, but it left you alone to deal."

Shrugging, Lori smiled weakly. "Yeah, it did."

"I'm sure you were just as messed up as she was…after. That's not the kind of thing you get over quickly," Jim sympathized.

"It's not," she answered, looking up at him strangely.

Tilting his head, Jim queried, "what?"

"Not many people understand that…about me, I mean. They always get caught up in the event itself and don't realize that it didn't end for me when the FBI found me. In a way, it still haunts me."

Jim's gut churned. She had gone through so much. And now she was left to fill her father's shoes while her sister was making her own life. "Ever think about saying to hell with it and taking Daddy's money and running?"

His question earned him a dark chuckle. "Yeah. But, I can't. Lucy depends on the income from the investments. And … there's my brother, Larry too."

"You have a brother? Why isn't he helping with any of this?"

"He… can't."

Jim frowned. "Can't? Or won't?"

"Can't. He's in Reno, in a home…he's…well, he has mental issues."

"So, let me get this straight…you're holding down the fort and taking care of your brother and your sister is off…doing whatever the hell she wants?"

Lori nodded. "Yeah, kind of…"

"So what do _you_ want?"

Lori looked at him, naughtily. "You mean besides you?"

Jim smirked back. "Besides me."

She shrugged. "I …don't really know. I've never really been able to think about what I want. It has always been what everyone else wants…or needs."

Deep inside, Jim was angry; not angry at her but for her. "Well Babe, I _need_ you to think about that…about what you want. Because if we're going anywhere, you need to know that. And I'd like to have some idea too….of what you want, I mean."

Lori straightened up, looking at him as if he had grown two heads.

"What's wrong, Baby?" Jim asked.

"No one's ever asked me that; not really. I mean people ask me what I want about superficial things. And a few people ask more seriously sometimes…like Judy."

Judy?"

"Yeah, when I …after you came over that night and I couldn't remember, she asked if I wanted for you to have stayed. But no one's ever really asked me what I want in life." Then looking at him pointedly she asked, "What do you want?"

The question caught Jim by surprise. He thought about it briefly and looked into her probing eyes. "I think I'm trying to figure that out," he replied. "I thought I knew but…now I think maybe…well, things might be changing."

A faint smile crept over her mouth as her eyes locked with his. They remained still, their eyes doing all the communicating that was needed in the moment. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his heart, Jim thought he felt a little click and a door that had been locked for ages creak open.


	22. Chapter 22

Nick and DB met Jim at the door of his office that night. "We've got another one," Nick said as Jim walked in to sit down.

"Another one?" Jim frowned. He'd had one hell of an afternoon, all in a good way of course, but still with only two hours of sleep, he wasn't up to speed.

"Another couple, dead husband and a wife that looks like the other two. The call came into Swing but they passed it to us since it was near the end of the shift anyway."

Jim looked at the other two men quizzically. "So, why aren't you at the scene?"

"We're headed there but we thought you might want in on it too," DB answered.

"Yeah, okay," Jim sighed. _This is going to be long night_, Jim thought as he followed the other two out.

The scene was like the others. Jim leaned heavily in the doorway, his hand gripping the door facing as he took it all in. The husband was on the floor in the middle of the room. Jim didn't need to walk across the room to the broken picture frame on the floor near the shelves; he knew what it held. DB picked it up and grunted. Then walking across to Jim, he handed it to the detective. Jim turned it over and looked into Lori's face, or one very nearly like it. _Damn…_

After interviewing a few neighbors, talking to the first responders, and tracking down the wife, Jim headed back to PD. The couple was Dan and Angie Hirsh. Dan was now deceased, of course. Angie was a flight attendant and the airlines had informed Jim that she was actually in the air and wouldn't land for another three hours.

Jim wasn't looking forward to greeting her at the airport but he thought it would be better than letting her drive home to what waited for her there. He'd meet her, give her the news, and then either drive her to the morgue or to her house, whichever she wanted. And he'd use the time to get the information that he needed, not that he believed it would add much to the case. This killer was slippery, not leaving much behind in the way of clues or forensic evidence.

Jim didn't need anyone to point Angie Hirsh out to him. He recognized her as she walked through he doors from the flight crew suite. Her hair was lighter than Lori's and she wore it really short, unlike Lori's almost shoulder length hair. But from a distance, the face was the same. Jim fought down the sick feeling that was growing in his gut.

"Angie Hirsh?" he asked as he approached her.

"Yes, I'm Angie," she answered looking at him and his badge in confusion.

"I'm Jim Brass, LVPD. Is there someplace we could talk…someplace quiet?" He was somewhat relieved as he got closer to notice differences between this woman and Lori. They were subtle but with closer inspection, he decided she didn't look as much like Lori as he'd first thought.

Angie Hirsh had taken the news better than Jim expected. In fact, she seemed almost relieved. Maybe things weren't as blissful in the Hirsh house as the neighbors had reported. "You don't seem that surprised…or upset by the news," he said scornfully.

Blinking, Angie looked up at him. "I'm not…although this isn't how I expected…," she took a deep breath. "Dan has…had congestive heart failure. I tired to hire people to stay at the house with him but he didn't want that. I knew…I mean, the doctors thought he would have more time but I knew that one day I could come home and…and… he'd be gone. So no, I'm not surprised he's gone. I am surprised that it ended like this."

Jim was completely astonished. The woman showed none of the usual signs of distress that he'd learned to recognize over the years. She wasn't in shock or upset; in fact; in fact, she seemed quite calm. "So you've been expecting his death? How long?"

Looking at her nails, Angie replied. "He was diagnosed several months ago. He had an _episode_ so he went to the emergency room. Turned out to be a heart attack, the last of several that he didn't even know he'd had. But each time, he lost a little more of his heart muscle. He was on medication for it, but it was only a matter of time. I could see him going downhill every day. So while I am sad, I'm also kind of relieved. He isn't suffering or worrying anymore." Then looking up at Jim, she glared into his eyes and he saw the first strong emotion from her. "But I want you to find the bastard that did this to him. He wanted those last few months of his life and that SOB took that from Dan."

Angie Hirsh didn't want the ride Jim offered. She explained that her car was in long term and she'd take it and find a hotel room somewhere. She gave him her cell number and the two parted. As he drove back to PD, Jim got a call from Nick.

"What do ya have?" he growled into the phone.

Not much," Nick confessed. "But we did get a partial print. Mandy's running it now."

"So maybe this asshole is getting sloppy," Jim theorized.

"That's what I'm hoping," Nick replied. "Anyway, it's almost the end of my shift, so I'm going home. Maybe by tonight we'll have something more to work with."

"Yeah…maybe."

Jim headed to his office and settled down in front of his computer screen. This case was gnawing at him and he wanted answers. Most importantly, he wanted to know if and how Lori might be in the middle of it. Consequently, he started digging for any information he could find on her and her family.

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><p>And the plot thickens...<p>

It will probably be a week or so before I can post again. I'm getting slammed at work and I had a brainflash that means I have to rework things a bit. But I promise, I'll get more out as soon as I can;-)


	23. Chapter 23

Sorry it took me so long to get this up. Here goes...

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><p>"Tell me about your mother," Jim insisted as he settled at Lori's patio table later that morning. He had called her as he left PD to see if he could come by. Her response was to prepare a full blown breakfast with an omelet, sausage, and toast. He appreciated the food but he needed answers.<p>

"What?" she replied, blinking in surprise.

"You told me a little about the rest of your family but didn't mention your mother…"

Lori frowned, confused and a little perturbed. "I don't really remember her. She died when I was seven."

Jim knew he was delving into dark places, but he was determined. "How'd she die?" He tried to sound more casual than he was feeling.

"I uh… she got sick. I remember the night they came to take her to the hospital. The EMTs loaded her on a gurney and rolled her out while Larry and I watched. It was Larry that found her in her room."

"Where was your father?"

"I think he was at the hospital…I don't know. Why all the questions? She died. That's all I really know." Her eyes flared as did her anger.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just…she didn't die; not that night anyway. They took her to a mental hospital. It is the same one that Larry went to later. But your mother lived for another twenty years in that place."

"A mental institution? But why?" Lori was visibly upset and if Jim was reading her correctly also frightened.

"The records I found say she tried to kill herself that night, after trying to kill you. Larry didn't find her; he was the one that stopped her. Apparently he fought her off you and then followed her to her room."

"Larry?" She shook her head in denial, her brow furrowed and her eyes glazed as she attempted to remember. "I don't… I remember them yelling that night but I don't remember her hurting me."

"Later she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Apparently she had signs of it for years but her episodes didn't last very long. Then after your sister was born, she went through depression and the schizophrenia got much worse. She was having delusions and the little voices were telling her that you were a danger to her baby."

Tears trickled out of Lori's eyes. "I remember whispers and odd looks from other people for a long time after she di…left. And Larry…he was different after that. I always thought he just didn't handle the grief very well, but now…"

"Schizophrenia…that's what's wrong with him too, isn't it? Why he is in that place in Reno?"

"Yes. He went to college and had a break down. They found him in his dorm room, hiding in his closet, convinced that the creatures were after him. We never knew what the creatures were; he just always called them creatures. They treated him and he seemed to be doing okay. Then about ten years ago, it got worse and now he has bouts of catatonia."

"And Lucy?"

Lori looked at Jim angrily. "What about Lucy? You think my whole family is crazy, don't you? Does that include me? You thought I was stalking you; I must be crazy."

"Babe…no," Jim replied quickly. "I meant…does Lucy know all this?"

"No. She knows about Larry but neither of us knew why." Then she looked at him pointedly. "Why are you looking into my family anyway?"

Jim sighed. "It's this case we're working. The women …they could be you. And my gut is telling me there is a connection. But Larry is tucked away in Reno; I checked."

She looked at him disbelieving "You checked? You've been looking into my family, into my past, and even checking on my brother," she accused, her voice rising with each phrase. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she barked angrily. "I know we...that things have… that…"

"Babe," Jim said softly, reaching for her.

She shook off his hand and shot out of her chair, standing across the patio from him. "Don't you 'babe' me! You arrogant son of a …"

Following and standing beside her, he interrupted. "Hold on," he said, waving his hand in the air to hold her off. "No need for name calling." Not responding to her temper, he debated about how to continue as he watched her fume. "As for who I am, I'm a cop. I investigate things and there are too many similarities between you and those other women."

"So what have these women done?" she challenged, her face red with fury. "Besides get under your skin, I mean."

Jim watched her carefully for a full minute, deciding on how to respond. "Nothing. They've done nothing. But their husbands are all dead."

"Well then," she barked, "nothing to worry about with me; I don't have a husband," she said bitterly.

"No, you don't," he agreed with a smirk.

"You jackass...," she started but then she tilted her head and peered into his eyes. "Wait a minute….you think someone might come after you? Because you're…with me?" The red in her face was fading a bit.

His eyes dancing, Jim shook his head. "I'm not worried about me. And…we're together?"

"You tell me? When you left the other day, I thought…I thought that we had…that…"

"What Baby?" he asked gently.

She fidgeted, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, clinching her hands as she struggled. "I just thought…I mean, we… you were so…" she looked at him desperately.

Deciding that it might be safe to move closer, Jim did just that, leaning in and whispering. "I was what, Babe?" Nuzzling against her cheek, he continued. "I'll tell you what I was. I was turned on. You were hot, so damned sexy. And I'm still turned on." Then he kissed her for emphasis. "And I am concerned about you, how you might fit into all this. Is that so wrong?" he asked as he pulled her into a hug.

He felt her relax against him, her head shaking. "No, I guess not. I'm just not used to it."

Lifting her chin with the fingers of his right hand, he looked deep into her eyes. "Well get used to it. I look out for my own," he said with a deep, gravely voice.

Subtle changes moved through her expression until her eyes danced. "I knew it."

"Knew what, Babe?" he asked, still looking at her eyes.

"That day we first met…at Judy's…I told her" then suddenly she started blushing again. "I told her that you were cute, in a bulldog kind of way."

Jim chuckled. "Bulldog? If by that you mean I'm not going to do my best to not let anyone or anything hurt you, then yeah….bulldog." Tilting his head, he sighed. "But I really hope that wasn't a physical description."

Smiling flirtatiously Lori replied, "Well, kind of. I mean, there are similarities… but cute ones."

"Cute?" Jim grunted. "Been a long time since anyone called me _cute_. I know I'm getting older and maybe not as handsome as I was twenty years ago but…cute? Like a bulldog? Bulldogs have big jowls, don't they? Besides, I don't drool."

Lori started laughing. "Handsome? I have a hard time picturing you as ever been what people call handsome. No, you're more the cute type; cute, cuddly, squeezable…in a manly sort of way of course," she finished seriously, only the gleam in her eyes giving away her amusement as she stepped away.

"Now you're making me sound like a teddy bear. And when I think about you, that's not the kind of teddy I wanna be thinking about," he replied as he moved closer to her again.

"Oh, you don't like teddy bears? What, didn't you have one when you were a kid? I can just picture you as a little boy playing with his teddy."

Grinning, Jim put his hands on her waist. "Oh, I've played with plenty of teddies, only they weren't mine."

Gazing into his eyes, Lori frowned. "I'll bet you have a whole teddy collection, don't you?"

'I'm not a collector," Jim replied.

"Really, you don't have a special drawer for your trophies? I find that hard to believe."

Leaning close to her ear, his breath tickling her jaw and hair, he whispered. "You don't believe me? You'll have to go through my drawers sometime." Satisfaction seeped through him as he heard a small moan escape her. And then his phone rang…


	24. Chapter 24

It surprises me sometimes how a simple thread of an idea can turn into such a complex story, but this one did. Maybe I just should have left it as a one shot but I committed now, lol. Maybe I should be committed... I could hang out in the mental hospital and dream up all sorts of warped stories.

Season 12 is over and I heard PG in an interview recently say that he will be back for 13. Actually, I've been doing a happy dance all week because he said my screen name in an interview. Knowing he will be back will make the summer easier.

The comments and reviews are much appreciated. Having other people who are interested in this story helps keep me going. So here it is... Next chapter is almost finished so it shouldn't take so long for the next post.

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><p>"We've got an inquiry from the FBI," Conrad Ecklie informed him as Jim stormed into his office.<p>

"So where's Mason? It is his shift," Jim growled. "I haven't had much sleep lately."

"Yeah, and it shows," Ecklie snipped back. "But I want you supervising this. Mason can run it for the Day Shift but I want you leading this," Ecklie continued. "Mason's good but this…it's getting nasty."

"Okay, okay," Jim replied tiredly. "I'll see where he is on everything and we'll go from there. But then I'm going home for some sleep."

"Fair enough," Conrad said as he eyed the detective. "FBI says this perp started up in Portland about a year ago and has been moving around, not staying long in one place. He's been through Denver, San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Tuscan , and now he's here." He handed the file to Jim, who simply glared at it.

"Okay, I'll go over it and get in touch with the FBI," the senior detective huffed.

"I had Mason interview the wives," Jim told Nick and Ecklie that night. "All three men were abusive in one way or another. Hier was verbally abusive but never hit the wife, or so she says. The others got physical. Hirsh slapped his wife in a restaurant a couple of weeks ago, despite his bad heart. So, there were actually quite a few witnesses."

"But how would our perp know about that?" Nick asked. "Unless he was following them…"

Ecklie chimed in, "just like our other cases; some public, some in private. Some instances had witnesses, most did not. But somehow he knew…"

"So far we can't find where these women might have crossed paths or even been in the same places, so that's no help," Jim grumbled. "It has to be somebody that moves easily between all these places"

"And someone who isn't a permanent fixture. He's been moving all around for over a year now," added Ecklie. "But he's smart…about forensics, I mean. He is careful, not leaving anything we can trace back to him."

Jim stared sown at the files, the stack growing. "I'll be damned if I know…"

Nick shuffled through the pile again. "Yeah, I just don't see a common thread between these women."

"Besides their looks," Jim added "Well, let's talk to the wives some more. Maybe they've remembered something…" Jim said as he pushed back his chair. "Beats sitting around waiting for another call."

A few hours later, eyes blurry and brain fuzzy, something in one of the statements caught Jim's attention. "Hey," he said into the phone when Nick answered.

"Oh…Jim…" he drawled, "hey."

"No, I mean…I think I have something."

"What?"

"The Braeburns were having some kind of special internet installation done in their apartment building. Jerry Hier had the same company doing some work like that at his business. And Angie told me she had a special system put in so she could stay in touch with Dan, even when she was away."

"Same company doing the work?" Nick wanted to know.

"I don't know, but I'll find out in the morning. It has to be the connection though; it is the only thing we can find."

"So maybe…one of the installers?"

"Could be," Jim answered. Ending the call, Jim gathered the files and put them away, made a quick call to Mason, gave him a run down and then headed home.

It seemed like he'd only been asleep a couple of hours when his phone rang. It was Mason. "I've got something you'll be interested in," Mason told him.

"Yeah," Jim grumbled into the phone, trying to collect his thoughts.

"I'm at the Econo Inn over off Industrial. You're going to want to see this."

Jim grunted. "Okay, give me a few…" Hanging up, he forced himself into motion.

"What do you have?" Jim asked tiredly as he approached Mason.

"In here," Mason directed as he opened the door to 114. I was following up on the list from the installation company."

Jim stepped into the room and immediately spotted the body on the floor between the bed and the bathroom. "We know who it is?"

"Kenny Anderson. He is one of the installers that travel for the company. His itinerary matches the trail of dead bodies the FBI is following."

Glancing back toward the DB, Jim asked David Phillips, "How long he been dead?"

"Ten to twelve hours," David answered. The air conditioning was turned up high, so it is hard to be exact.

"Damn," Jim muttered. Then looking at Mason, he asked "Who's the CSI on this?"

"Gilbert from Swing."

"Okay, let 'em do their thing here. Talk to the guests. Have you talked with the clerk yet? Motel personnel?"

"No, my shift's over," Mason grumbled.

Standing in the middle of the room, dead on his feet, and not sure what shift was what, Jim was angry. "And you think this is my shift?" Jim barked.

"Well, no …but…"

"But what? This _is_ technically your case, you know."

Mason swallowed. "Yes sir, I'll um…I'll just go…check…on some…things," he said as he backed out of the room.

Turning to watch Dave, Jim cleared his throat. "What are you doing here anyway, Dave? This isn't your shift either."

"Oh, I…well Days was short handed so Doc moved me to this shift for a couple of weeks. He said my marriage could use a few normal nights," Dave replied uneasily.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure the Mrs. appreciates that."

"Actually she's kind of pissed. It is messing with her routine," Dave chuckled nervously. Jim Brass' temper was legend and Dave had witnessed enough of it over the years that he didn't want it aimed in his direction. And Brass seemed to be in a really bad mood.

The detective stood pensively for a few minutes, absently watching Dave. Then he sighed. "Too late to go home and go back to bed," he announced suddenly, not really directing it at Dave. "Guess I'll go stretch out on the couch in my office until…" He left the thought dangling as he tiredly turned and walked out.

The couch is where Conrad Ecklie found him a little after 8 o'clock. "Don't you have a home to go to?" he asked.

"Huh?" Jim said as he struggled to wake up. The question had startled him out of his slumber. "Wha…"

"You know, house…bed…your very own space." he teased.

Wiping sleep from his eyes, he looked at her blearily. "Um …yeah. Mason called me. We have a…um….DB that he thinks…" he shook his head as if to clear it. "The guy is related to our case, he thinks."

"And you're napping?" Conrad started for the door.

Jim looked at him sleepily. "Go find Mason if you have to know …what he um…found. I'm going to …wake up," he said, still groggy.

"Yeah, good idea," Ecklie grumbled as he left.


	25. Chapter 25

If you're reading, then you made the jump to "M" world, lol.

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><p>"You looked tired," Lori said over twelve hours later as she opened the door to Jim.<p>

"I am," he answered as he moved toward her. "Ongoing case has us going in circles."

Sliding next to him, nestling against his cheek as she embraced him, she purred. "So you need your rest?"

He turned and smiled desolately at her. "Yeah I do," he said quietly. Then leaning in, Jim nuzzled against the side of her face, his lips brushing her cheek gently. Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. "But I wanted to see you."

"I feel honored," she teased. "A few weeks ago you didn't want anything to do with me."

Too tired and feeling defeated, he wasn't in the mood for teasing. "I _needed_ a friendly face," he admitted. "A fresh one..."

Her demeanor changed to seriousness. "Jim?"

"It was a bad night…a long few days. I haven't really slept since this case started and last night…" he paused, not sure he wanted to share his distress.

"What about last night Jim? Are you alright?"

Deciding he didn't want to re-live it just yet, he shook his head. "I'll tell you about it later." Then leaning into her, he nuzzled again. "Right now I just need to be close to you, to hold you," he said as he rested his hands on her waist.

Lori looked up at him, alarmed. "Jim you're frightening me; this doesn't sound like you."

"Like I said, it was a rough night," he grumbled.

Taking his hand, she led him to her den and they sat on the couch. "Okay then, we can talk or not talk. You can take a nap if you need to. But eventually, you're going to tell me what is bothering you."

Jim rubbed the back of his head tiredly. "We talked about this; I need time…to ...I dunno…just time."

"Okay," Lori said thoughtfully. "I get that…. But you came to me and I want to help but I don't know how."

Reaching out, Jim caressed the side of her face with the back of his fingers, letting them slid down her jaw until he cupped her chin in his hand. Tilting her head so that he could look into her eyes with his tired ones, he leaned closer. He released her chin and slid his fingers up the opposite side of her face, his eyes following the path of his fingers. He tilted his own head as the features on his craggy face softened. "I want to make love to you," he said softly as his lips sought hers.

She returned his kiss, gently at first but her fervor grew, heating them both. He nibbled and played along her jaw as her head fell back, a low, luscious moan escaping. "I need you, Lori," he whispered. "I need to feel..."

His words were cut short as she reached behind his head, pulling him closer to her. Capturing his lips with hers, she answered his admission. Her free hand began to caress, first his jaw, then sliding down to his shoulder, onto his chest. Her motion was slow, methodical almost and very attentive. All the while, her kiss grew deeper.

Finally withdrawing, she leaned her forehead against his. "You really mean that?" She asked. "You really want to make love…not just sex, make love?"

"No, um…yeah…I mean," he let out a long slow breath. "I'm not ready to say the words Lori. I don't think we're there yet. But what I'm feeling…it's more than a one night thing, you know. I want to find out where this can go…I want it to go someplace. And right now I really need to feel… something good."

"Then the bedroom is a better place for us to be, don't you think?"

By the time they made it to her bedroom, Jim felt like every nerve in his body was on high alert. What he thought had started as a gentle, loving, slow burn on her couch was quickly turning into a wildfire. The simplest touch from her as they climbed the stairs sent ripples of pleasure through him and made him crave more. His heart was pounding in his chest as he kissed her just inside the bedroom door. And as they made their way to her bed, he felt his pulse racing and the flush of blood as it boiled through him.

She pulled him down beside her, not that he needed much in the way of persuasion. His weariness from the night before dissolved as their eyes locked. As he leaned toward her, he felt her hand cradle the back of his head, coaxing him further. Their lips met again, lightly at first but the kiss deepened quickly. Their tongues danced, one circling the other, then connecting in timid exploration until finally, they danced together in unison.

His hands began to explore; first her neck and then along her arms, and finally, her breasts. Even through the fabric of her clothes, he could feel her hardened nipples. A gasp escaped her as he fingered over one and then the other, delighting in the feel.

Suddenly frantic, she began pulling at his shirt, trying to unfasten the uncooperative buttons. Amused and incredibly turned on by her impatience, he pulled away and started to undress. Feeling her intense gaze, he turned to her and smirked, "you too, Babe."

Their clothes were shed and as he got an eyeful of her assets, his heart rate quickened again. She was hot, he told himself and as if she were reading his mind, she pushed him down on the bed and crawled over him, her knees on either side of his thighs.

Her expression as she looked down at him was smoldering. "How do you want it, stud?" she asked huskily.

That made Jim chuckle. "Stud? Nobody's called me that in a long time…"

"You've been spending time with the wrong women then," she purred, "because I think you are quite a stud," she added as she bent over and covered his lips, moaning as they touched.

Her hands began to traverse his chest, her fingers tangling in his mat of hair as they went. She played there, almost petting him until her attention moved up to his shoulders and then back down to his nipples where she teased.

And as she slid over him, she juiced his pole with her sweetness; he fought to maintain his self control. _She's gonna kill you,_ he thought. But what really got his blood boiling was the way her eyes rolled shut and her head lolled back as she rocked over his stick.

He watched keenly, fighting the instinct to take her then. But the vision she presented was too good, too sweet to be hurried. No, he'd take his time and take it all in, the feel of her sliding over his length, measuring him, the sight of her breasts protruding as she held her shoulders back to balance on her knees over him, her nipples hard and ripe for his attention, and her expression…ohhh, her expression…

Not taking his eyes off her face, he reached for her pleasure mounds, his thumbs tweaking her nipples. Her responding flinch and then moan told him how much she was enjoying this. Her eyes opened and she smiled down on him, her lust filled expression mesmerizing. She leaned over him, first kissing him and then nuzzling his ear, her tongue working magic as it went.

Without warning, she lifted up and shifted slightly until her sweetness hovered over his very erect rod. And then she began her descent. "God, you're tight," he gasped as she slid down his length, going slow, tantalizingly slow. And when she finally had all of him safely tucked inside, there was that sound she made, somewhere between an 'oh my god' and a moan. There was no faking that, he knew. SHe was seriously turned on...by him.

"Lori?" he asked, as she groaned. Her head came forward and her eyes opened, capturing his. He noticed a single tear working its way down her cheek. "You okay, babe?"

"Hmmm, yeah," she purred. "You just feel …" she clinched his manhood with her womanhood for emphasis, "sooo good. It's like a part of me that was missing is finally where it belongs. I wasn't expecting it to be this good."

And then she clinched again, her muscles tightening around him and sending him into orbit. He bucked involuntarily which created an answering motion from her and they were off and pumping. She tried to slow things down, to pace it better but she was too far gone. No sooner would she stop then she'd flinch and start again in an uncontrollable urge. "Slow down, Baby" he panted. "I'm not gonna last like this…"

"Can't," she mumbled. "Too good…"

Jim's hands were all over her, caressing, squeezing, and sometimes holding on. She paused and he used the opportunity to roll her onto the bed. Her look of surprise was fleeting as she broke into a smile when he climbed over her for re-entry.

"Oh god you feel so damned good," she said breathily as he kissed her again and then looked into her face. Her eyes heavy with lust, she peered into his before they fluttered shut again. Jim watched as her features relaxed and took on the appearance of heavenly ecstasy. He wasn't new to this; he knew how to please women. But her responses to his caresses and kisses filled him with complete joy and a sense of awesome power

"Oh god… so good," she murmured. And that was it; she lost it. Her fingers dug into his skin where she held him and then she reached around to his back to pull him closer. Her legs clamped around him, limiting his motion but not stopping him. Jim was close but he hung on, wanting her to feel it all, wanting to feel her as she climaxed, which she did in a frenzy of motion and moans. Then as she finished, she pulled him all the way down, holding him in a vise and mumbling his name in a flurry of unintelligible ramblings as she began to relax.

Finally he lifted himself up and looked into her face, her eyes looking heavy and sated. But she smiled knowingly. "Your turn," she whispered huskily as he grinned rakishly.

Jim's insides were shaking. He could feel all his inner walls tumbling as he looked at her. Feeling her move beneath him, he started to shift, thinking she needed him off her, but she pulled him back. Then reaching down behind him, her hand pressed against his ass as she silently told him what to do. Jim knew when he sent her over the edge again; he knew, but he was too caught up in his explosion to gauge hers. And it _was _an explosion, fireworks in his head along with the rest of his body erupting, expending all of his energy.

When he was done, he sank beside her, spent and weak. She eased into his body, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. Gently, her fingers played over the hair there. Neither said a word as they lay there in a stupor, not quite asleep but not really awake either, both quite content. Lazily, she rolled onto her side and Jim spooned behind her, still languid and satisfied.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed the ride! More to come?<p> 


	26. Chapter 26

Late in the afternoon, Lori was pulled from her lethargic, satiated stupor by the feel of his huge hand on her breast, his fingers slowing circling her nipple, tweaking and teasing. His lips were nibbling along her shoulder and nipping at her neck. The moan that escaped from her was beyond her control and she snuggled back into his warmth, his body spooning behind her snugly.

His answering hiss sent her heartbeat into overdrive. Still marveling over his earleir behavior and the fact that he was still in her bed, Lori closed her eyes and let the feel of his presence resonate through her. Although she had suspected and even glimpsed a more tender side of Jim Brass, she had been surprised by his gentleness as a lover. And he was considerate too, an unusual man in her world.

All of her thoughts and emotions combined with his physical encouragements had her insides winding into a tight coil that was screaming for release. Sex with Dave had always left her feeling unsatisfied, even when he had met her needs. But Jim…she had dozed off in his arms happy, sated, and hoping for more later. And later came sooner than she'd expected. After all, she was a doctor; while she new that it wasn't imposible for men Jim's age, repeat performances so close togehter were ...unusual.

He leaned up on his elbow, leaning over her and smiling down at her. "You okay, Babe?" he asked in that gravelly, husky, sweet voice of his.

"Mmmm, better than okay," she purred softly. "But something tells me I'll be even better in a few minutes," she said as she wiggled her ass against him. "Oh Baby," he growled, his hand clinching over her breast.

His hand kneading her, his lips travelling along the contour of her shoulder, his warm breath and practiced hand were melting her. Nuzzling behind her ear he whispered, "With you, there's so much to be thankful for and right now, so little time to be thankful," he teased lightly.

She spent the next few minutes a haze, a flurry of heat and emotion, and feeling oh so good. He was quicker this time, more urgent. And honestly, so was she. Before, she had merely wanted him; now, she was lost in a sea of need.A fire had been lit, a burn stronger than she had ever dreamt possible for herself. He couldn't touch her enough or kiss her deeply enough to quench her need, not until he finally filled her and his own need spilled into her and she exploded into uncontrollable spasms of sheer joy that only dissipated when she simply had no more energy or muscle that could respond. But even then she wanted it to continue, wanted more of him.

He collapsed next to her, his own exhaustion eclipsing hers. She rolled onto her side, her eyes fixed on the film of sweat covering his fur covered chest and the rhythm of his breathing. She felt him watching her and let her eyes travel to meet his. The expression she saw there, the combination of happiness and pure dread made her breath catch. "Jim, that was," her hand made its way over his chest, feeling his heartbeat pounding, "it was unbelievable." She managed to whisper. "You're beautiful."

His expression changed from dread to curiosity and then to mirth as she spoke. Then he openly guffawed. "I think I'm the one supposed to be telling you that," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"That you're fantastic," she teased as she played in his fur. She couldn't seem to stop touching him.

"Thank you, but no…that you are beautiful. I'm not."

A smile worked at the corners of her mouth, one that was rather swollen and pink from all of his attention, as she looked over him studiously. "Oh I have to disagree. I know men don't like to be called beautiful but what your body does to me…that's the only way to describe it." She leaned in and nipped at his earlobe, her breath warm on his skin, teasing and tickling. "And the _way_ you make me feel…delicious," she purred as she lifted her head.

Jim looked at her, glowing over him, her hand absent mindedly caressing his chest, her eyes sparkling and her hair a mess and he knew his wings had been clipped. There was no escaping the truth of it. But as his back began to ache a little and his stomach began to growl, he knew there were other truths he couldn't escape too. "I don't want to leave," He told her, "but I need to go home, grab a bite, and get some real sleep. I still have to work tonight, you know."

She looked disappointed. "You could stay here." She suggested. "I have food, lots of it. And then you can sleep."

With a wolf-like grin, Jim nodded negatively. "Thanks, but I won't be able to sleep much if I stay here." He saw her opening her mouth to contradict him but he jumped in first. "Just knowing you're here will keep me…awake," he winked. "Besides, I'm not as young as I used to be. I don't think I can keep up with you if I stay." _Don't know how I've kept up so far…_

An impish smirk spread over her face. "But you will come back tomorrow? Because I don't think I can get enough of you."

"It's a good thing you're a doctor," Jim teased.

"Why?" she queried as her hand played up his chest to caress his cheek.

"Because I think I'm going to need one…keeping up with you."

"You kept up just fine…better than fine," she assured him. Then blushing again, she looked away demurely. "In fact, it's never been so good." The suddenly her expression changed to one of pain and regret and then just as quickly changed back to brazen assurance.

Studying her face, Jim was tickled by her mixture of frank worldliness and naïveté. In some ways he understood her easily but sometimes she was an enigma to him, "Lori?"

"What?" she answered with a question, her eyes looking at him intently, almost fearfully.

"You… where'd you go, just then?"

"I um…well, I was just…," she sat up in a flurry of motion. Then with a deep sigh, she mumbled, "I wish you were my first, that I hadn't married Dave and that …well, when I was kidnapped he…he…" tears began to slid down her cheeks.

"I know, Babe," Jim said tenderly, wiping the tears away. "I read the police report. I know what he did to you; you don't need to explain."

Her brow furrowed. "You read the report? You know? So, what's this then…you feel sorry for me?" She looked crushed.

Sitting up and leaning towards her, he held her chin and turned her face to him. "No Baby, I wish it hadn't happened to you but…that's not why I'm here. I meant it when I said I wanted to make love to you. I'm probably not getting any of this right, but…" he sighed as looked into her pained face and realized he needed to explain. "This case… the women…realizing they all look like you, not exactly but… close enough. It shook me, you know…So I decided to look into the record, be sure the monster that took you and your sister isn't behind this."

He watched as the implications of his explanation dawned on her. "You think…he might still be…he might…." Tears were streaming down her face now.

"Not after looking into the case, no. R.C. Jessup isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He was denied parole at his last hearing and won't be up again for five years. Seems he keeps getting into fights in prison."

"So…you don't think…I mean, these cases aren't…I'm not…"

"It's the husbands that seem to be the targets, the wives are all okay," he tried to reassure her. "So no, I don't think you are in any danger. I'm not sure what the connection is in the cases but I don't want you to worry. It was just a crazy thought I had and so I looked into it." He shrugged, feeling terribly inept. "It's what I do…"

She looked up at him and tried to smile but too much sadness surrounded her. "I don't think…I mean, if he came back…I don't know what I'd do."

Pulling her to him, wrapping her in his arms and holding her to his chest, he tried to console her. "You don't have to worry Babe. He isn't coming back. And I promise, if the SOB ever does get parole, I'll be at the gate, waiting for him. He won't ever come near you again."

She clung to him, his words, his very presence comforting her. "That's why your night was so bad?" she asked meekly.

"No," he replied quickly, too quickly. "No, it…we had a theory and thought we'd identified a possible suspect but he was found dead."

"So back to square one?" she asked languidly.

"Yeah."

"That doesn't sound as bad as I was imagining. I thought…well, I guessed maybe you had to shoot somebody or…maybe someone you know got shot…something like that."

Jim frowned, not sure he wanted to follow the path she was leading him down. With a sigh, he decided he had to. Holding back would be repeating past mistakes. It wasn't like she wouldn't find out eventually. Judy Robbins would fill her in, Jim was certain. "We did get shot at," he said softly, his fingers playing in her hair.

Startled, she sat up. You…you were shot at?" she asked worriedly, her eyes instinctively scanning for some sign of injury that she might have missed.

"Yeah…. Nick Stokes, the CSI on the case was grazed but he's okay. We were at the crime scene when someone opened fire. We dove for cover but Nick got clipped and before we had a chance to locate the shooter, he was gone. Spent the rest of the night making sure Nick was okay and talking to I.A. Anytime we fire our weapons or get shot at, we have to answer their questions. It is always grueling. And the whole time, all I could think of was you….hoping none of this touches you."

"But you're okay?" she asked again, terror still reflected in her eyes.

"I'm okay," he said firmly. Using his thumb to wipe a way a few tears that had slid down her face, he let a small smile creep into his features. "Coming here was a good idea for me. I was in a bad place and you made it okay,' he confided. "But it upset you and I'm sorry."

Her features relaxed and her eyes took on a lighter look. "I'm glad you are here," she said with an affirmative nod. And you'llcome back tomorrow morning too. And I'll make things okay then too," she finished, her eyes twinkling.

As Jim drove home, he let out a relieved sigh. He'd managed to avoid filling her in on the worst of the events of the previous night. I.A. always loved rubbing his nose in his past mistakes. They had all but accused him of shooting Nick himself which had opened old wounds for Jim. Wounds that Lori didn't know about but had soothed anyway.

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><p>I hope you enjoyed. My muse keeps trying to hide from me...or maybe it is afraid it will be roped into service at work, lol. It pops in at the strangest times and runs away to hide after only a few minutes of typing, so things are slow going right now. But at least they are going...<p> 


	27. Chapter 27

The only bright spot in Jim Brass' night was the way he'd spent his day. Mandy had tried to match the partial print that Nick had found but had no luck. "Nothing in COTIS or any of the other databases," Nick explained as they stood around the evidence table.

"Yeah, well at least we'll have something if we ever do catch this perp…something to tie him to the scene," Jim had responded, trying to sound reassuring. They needed to find this guy. "Any progress on identifying the women in the pictures? Jim asked, remembering the stack of photos they'd found in the room, all bearing an uncanny resemblance to Lori.

"Archie's working on that. He's matching them to DMV photos. It is slow because they all look so similar but he has identified about half. Ecklie already gave Mason the names and he's following up."

"What about the camera you found?" Jim asked, hoping for a break there.

"Yeah, it had pics," Nick said and then paused. "But you're not going to like them," he informed the captain.

Jim frowned. "What? That bad, huh?" _Wonder if it is porn or maybe pics of the dbs?_

Nick sighed and then reached to a pick up a file from his right, which he handed to Jim. Brows still furrowed, Jim opened the folder and understood what Nick meant. Not liking them was an understatement because staring up from the file was a picture of himself with Lori. It had been taken the morning they ate breakfast together in the coffee shop. "What the hell..?"

"Yeah, didn't think you'd like it much," Nick sympathized. "Who is she?"

Jim shrugged. "Lori Messing. She's a friend of Judy Robbins. I met her when…awhile back. We ran into each other a few times. Obviously someone has been watching…" he trailed off, deep in thought. _Were they stalking this morning? Oh hell…._ Suddenly very uncomfortable, Jim loosened his tie before flipping through the rest of the pictures. "Shit," he breathed as he realized he was in every shot. Whoever the perp was, they had focused on Lori…and him. Then glancing back at the first stack, a groan escaped. "There are no men in those," he said as he eyed them.

"No…those women are alone in the photos. You think maybe he's locked onto your friend?" Nick asked worriedly.

Slamming the file back down on the table, Jim mumbled his agreement unintelligibly as he stormed out of the room. His first move was to send a unit to sit outside her house. Then stalking back to his office, he slammed the door shut, rattling the glass as he did.

His mind was reeling. Had he brought this danger to Lori? No…no… the other way around, he thought. Because she looks like this perp's type, he was in the crosshairs. Finally settling behind his desk, he pulled out his notes on the case and went over them again. He had to have missed something.

Early in the morning, Conrad Ecklie showed up. "Jim," the Undersheriff greeted him.

"Conrad," Jim returned in a gruff voice.

"I um…I heard about the pictures on the camera. Should you still be on this case? Shouldn't you hand it off?"

Jim glared at his superior. "You telling me to do that, Conrad?" Jim asked tersely.

"Well…departmental policy is that…"

Coming out of his chair, Jim cut Ecklie off before he could finish. "I don't give a rat's ass about policy on this. Some bastard is out there killing …and because I had breakfast with a friend, he's going to be aiming at me."

Ecklie stood still for a moment and then sighed. "You think …I mean, the other night when you and Stokes were fired at…was he shooting at you?"

Jim blanched. "And Nick got hit… this son of a bitch was shooting at me and Nick ended up in the ER."

"Jim," Conrad said soothingly, "Nick's okay; it just grazed him. You've seen for yourself; he's back at work and other than being a little sore, he's fine."

Jim was already deep in thought though. "It doesn't fit. The others….the husbands were…well, husbands. And they were abusive. I haven't always been the nicest to Lori but…abusive? No way. So why has this perp locked onto her…and me?"

"I don't know," Ecklie responded. "But until we figure this guy out, I want you supervising from your desk."

"What?" Jim barked. "How the hell can I run this case from behind my desk?"

"You heard me, Jim. I don't want you out in the field. Send Mason or one of the others to the scenes. It is for your protection and those around you."

Standing next to his desk, Jim pounded the top. "Damn!" The seeing the stares coming through his glass walls from the people in the hall, he deflated. Thinking a little more clearly, he mentally conceded Conrad's point. "Yeah, you're right. I'll um…yeah…here and the lab; that's all. But I'm staying on the case."

"Agreed," Ecklie said before he gave the detective one last look. "She must be special," he commented.

His head snapping up, Jim glared. "What?"

"Your _friend_…she must be special. It has been a long time since I've seen you this worked up."

Jim tilted his head, still glaring at the other man, watching as he turned and walked out of the office. Then letting out a huff, Jim fell back into his chair. "Damn," he muttered quietly.

By the time his shift ended, Jim was running on empty. Not even the coffee from the bullpen was helping. His ass was dragging and he knew he needed to drag it home to bed. Before leaving, he called Lori.

"You coming for breakfast?" she asked happily.

"No, I'm beat," he said softly into the phone. "I'm going home to bed…to sleep," he added as he heard her chuckle on the other end of the line.

"What's the matter, you didn't get enough sleep yesterday?" she asked coyly.

It was Jim's turn to chuckle. "No, I didn't…those sugar plums and all…"

"Poor man," she cooed.

"But when I have a night off. How about I take you to dinner? Someplace nice?"

"I'd like that," she answered quickly. "Yeah, I think I can wait that long…maybe," she giggled.

"Damn woman…" he grinned.

"Hey, it's not my fault. You're the one that knows how to flip my switches. But I'll let you get some rest. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, you will," he said, ending the call.

Later that day Lori met Judy Robbins for lunch. "So how are things between you and our favorite detective?" Judy asked, her eyes studying her friend for any signs of stress.

"Okay," Lori responded deceptively.

Judy gave Lori the once over, trying to calculate just what that 'okay' had meant. "Okay, give…" she said finally.

"Give what?" Lori replied dumbly.

"You and Jim…what's going on?"

"He…he came by the other morning and we talked…' Lori said demurely.

"And…"

"He got called away."

"But?" Judy watched her sagely.

"He came over yesterday morning…for breakfast," she hurriedly added. Judy waited patiently for more information. "But he had me instead," Lori giggled.

Judy rolled her eyes before concentrating on her lunch. "About time," she mumbled.

Neither woman was aware of the eyes on them, one set belonging to LVPD and the other...

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><p>All those fantastic Paul Guilfoyle interviews a week or so ago, ending with his appearance on NHLLive got my muse all perked up and the words actually started flowing a little easier. Hopefully that means this will wrap before too long. I have three other stories spinning in my head, lol.<p>

Hope you are still enjoying! Drop me a line or two; it is always nice to hear from you guys.


	28. Chapter 28

Mason woke Jim up late in the afternoon with a phone call. "We've got a lead…a good one, I think," he explained.

"What do you have?" Jim asked groggily, trying to clear the sleep from his brain.

"The installation company…they send their people in teams. We think it is one of the team members. I checked with the company and three others have been travelling with our vic for over a year now. I'm having them brought in. You want to be there?"

"On my way," Jim responded, already in motion as they ended the call.

By the time Jim arrived at PD, Mason had the three other members of the team in separate interrogation rooms. "Which one you want?" Mason asked, handing a file over to Jim.

Looking through the folder, Jim grimaced. _Two men and a woman… the men are long time employees…woman joined the group about fourteen months ago… _Jim glanced at their pictures and let out a small gasp.

"Yeah, thought that'd get your attention," Mason smirked. "She looks a lot like the other women."

Flipping back to the little information they had on the men, Michael Huffman and Leo Douglas, Jim decided quickly. "You talk to Douglas first. He's been with this company the longest and I'd lay odds that he isn't the one. But he might have seen something…"

"Okay," replied Mason. "You taking Huffman?"

Jim rubbed the back of his head as he decided. "No, not yet. I'll take the woman. After we get everything we can from the others, we'll talk to Huffman."

Mason nodded and took Douglas' file before heading into the room. Jim stepped across the hall and walked in to talk to the woman. Entering, he saw he seated at the table looking bored. "So, Lucia…Anderson; you related to Kenny Anderson?"

The woman looked up at him, glowering. "Unfortunately."

Jim looked at her askance. "What, he didn't treat you right or something?"

"Or something," she fired back."

Sitting across from her at the table, he opened the file. "He by any chance your husband?"

"Bingo…" she snarled back.

"You don't sound too upset…I mean, the guy _is_ dead." Jim emphasized.

"Yeah well, good riddance," she answered lazily.

"So, no point in me saying I'm sorry for your loss?"

Lucia smirked and then let out a small dark sounding chuckle. "Say whatever you want, I'm not."

"But Lucia, he was your husband. Seems like you'd muster a little feeling for him being gone."

Letting out a small huff, Lucia stared across the table. "I do have feelings about him being gone," she said with a wicked smile. "I feel free…"

"Okay. I get it…you two didn't get along," Jim said, changing tack. "Still, the more you co-operate, the sooner this will be over and you can begin to enjoy your freedom."

Lucia stared at him blankly. Jim had seen a lot in his many years in law enforcement but he couldn't recall ever seeing someone who wasn't high or coming down from being high that was so out of touch or even devoid of emotions. But as he watched her, he got a deep down sickening feeling that this woman was completely shut off from feeling much of anything. But what chilled him the most was that she was a slightly younger, sinister version of Lori.

Finally she spoke. "Okay, so what do you want to know? I'll tell you what I can so I can get out of this hellhole."

Jim began asking questions about her husband, their travels, his obsession with women who looked like her, and finally about the pictures and camera found in his…their room.

"Look," she huffed after about fifteen minutes, "I'm telling you, I don't know about any of this. We got married two years ago, got work helping on the installs, travelled together. But what he did on his own time…I didn't care about; just like he didn't get to know what I was doing."

"So why marry him then…if you didn't want to spend time with him?" Jim asked, genuinely curious.

Shrugging, Lucia answered. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Jim stared at his folder, baffled. She had done a lot of talking and said absolutely nothing that was even remotely helpful. He didn't know anymore about Kenny Anderson now than he knew when they started, except that he had one piece of work as a wife. "Yeah, okay... I'll get an officer to drive you back to the motel," he finally said, frustrated.

Walking into the hall, he saw Mason lingering outside. "You get anything from Douglas?" Jim asked the other detective.

Mason nodded. "He said Kenny wasn't a killer. Said Kenny might have taken the pictures, he was always messing with cameras, but that he was too much of a coward to kill anybody. And one other thing…. Douglas told me that when he'd been drinking, Kenny got abusive, especially towards the wife."

Jim turned and looked into the room he'd just left. "No wonder she wasn't sad that he's gone," Jim mumbled.

A few minutes later, both detectives sat across from Michael Huffman. "Yeah, Kenny could get real mean," Huffman said. "You outta see the marks on her back from where he beat her. Once I saw him take a belt ta her usin' the buckle end. The dude was crazy, 'specially when it came to her. But he didn't have it 'em to face up to a man…square on, you know. He'd piss 'emself 'fore he'd stand up eyeball to eyeball. I don't see him killin' nobody, except maybe by accident."

"But he might have taken the pictures?" Mason asked.

"Oh yeah..I ken see him doing that. He liked shooting people with the camera. Some of his stuff was pretty good, you know. But Lucia, she didn't like it. She'd get mad as hell if he went out with the camera."

"So what did she do…when he went out to shoot with the camera?" Jim asked, an uneasy feeling growing in his gut.

"She'd follow 'em," Huffman declared. "And then there'd be hell ta pay."

Jim leaned back in his chair, a frown covering his face "You think she maybe could kill?" he asked uneasily.

"Oh yeah, Lucia? Damn straight… She's got a temper and she don't act afraid of nuttin."

"She doesn't act afraid?" Jim asked. "What do you mean?"

Huffman leaned back in his chair. "It's like she's got ghosts chasin' after her or sumthing. Sometimes at night, I'd hear her screaming in her sleep in the next room. And every now and then, she'd get spooked. I think Kenny ain't the only one ever beat on her. I think sometime in the past she got beat up bad."

"Yeah?" Mason shot back.

"Yeah. I remember once at a mall. She saw this guy hollering at a woman, probably his wife. Lucia got steamed. She went over and started chewing on the fella. I thought he was gonna slap her too. But a security fella came up and broke it all up. But she was mad. Talked about it for days. That was just a little after they came to work for the company," Huffman added.

After they'd finished talking to the trio, Jim called Nick. "Go over the evidence again and this time consider that a woman might be behind this."

"A woman?" Nick asked, surprised.

"Yeah, some things in our interviews…just a hunch right now but…"

"Yeah, okay. I hear ya. Your hunches are usually pretty good." Nick answered. "I'll call you in a little while."

"Thanks Nicky."

Looking at his watch, Jim decided to grab a bite to eat. Mason's call had brought him in early and he hadn't showered or eaten. _Yeah, I'll grab a bite and then take a shower before shift starts._

Walking to his car, Jim briefly considered calling Lori. But then he remembered her saying something about covering at the hospital for the next few nights. An easy grin worked at the corners of his mouth as he considered finding an excuse to go by there and actually seeing her.

Using his fob, he unlocked his car and eased behind the wheel, turned the ignition and backed out of the parking space. Heading to the exit, he decided on a small restaurant about three blocks away; small, quiet, and quick service. He was feeling impatient, certain something was about to break in their case.

Pulling out into traffic, Jim began to accelerate, leaned over slightly to pick up a notebook that had fallen between the seats, and then all hell broke loose. His windshield crackled as something hit it. And then, as a searing heat permeated his shoulder he realized what was happening. "Shit!" he exclaimed as he turned the car a hard left, sending the rear end around and stopping the car as it faced backwards in his lane. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic and none behind him. Using the car as a shield, he crouched down and called for help.

Then turning, he scanned the area ahead for any signs of the shooter. But no other shots were fired. Sirens began to sound all around him and he heard footsteps. "Brass?" Mason called out.

"Yeah, I'm here," Jim responded. Jim turned to see Mason and a half dozen officers heading his way. Catching motion in the corner of his eye, he swung his head around in time to see Lucia Anderson slipping around the corner of the building across the street. "Mason, over there," he yelled as he waved in the direction she'd gone.

Jim started to cross the street as well, ready to give chase. He took a few steps and went down, the trauma to his body taking hold. Running in his direction, Mason stopped and checked Jim. "You're hit," Mason exclaimed.

"Yeah…Lucia Anderson…I saw her. She went around the corner."

Mason called for a bus and left an officer with Jim as he and the others disappeared around the corner. EMTs arrived within seconds and began treating the fallen detective. "We're taking you to the hospital, Captain Brass."

Jim grunted. _Wasn't the way I was planning to surprise Lori,_ Jim thought as he relaxed and let the guys do their work.

* * *

><p>Okay, stop throwing things at me. It is a Brass story, gotta have a little HC, lol. More to come. If you are nice to me maybe I'll hurry it up;-)


	29. Chapter 29

Well, Leah's Grandma was kinda scary with her review so I thought I'd better get something else up quick, lol. This one's kind of short but hopefully it'll keep the beasties at bay;-) Okay, back to typing...more to come...

* * *

><p>The ambulance rolled into the bay just as Lori arrived at the bay door. Dispatch had called to inform them that a police officer had been shot and was en route. Not having any further information, Lori was expecting to see a battle for life when the ambulance doors opened. What she wasn't expecting was to see Jim Brass reclined against a gurney with his head raised, an oxygen mask in place. "Oxygen was a precaution," the EMT told her quickly. "He never lost consciousness but he has been a little out of it. He's lost a lot of blood but he's stable."<p>

Lori's eyes widened as she looked from Jim to the EMT and then back to Jim. Frozen for a moment, all she could do was listen. "Patient is a 60 year old male," the EMT continued. "Gunshot to the left shoulder, no exit wound; he lost a lot of blood at the scene but …" he kept going but all Lori could do was watch the face of her…her what, she asked herself. They were just beginning to discover what they were together and now…

"Dr. Messing…. Dr. Messing?" the nurse prodded.

Snapping out of her trance, Lori nodded. "Right." She stepped back to let the EMT's wheel Jim in. Then she followed. "Jackie," she said to the nurse, "Dr. Howard just left for dinner. Get him back now."

"But…" Jackie started.

"Now Jackie! I'm too close…he's …he…."

Shooting Lori a confused and also somewhat understanding look, Jackie nodded. "Yeah…okay." And she peeled off to find a phone.

Lori followed the stretcher into the exam room. Once the EMTs had transferred him to a hospital gurney, they left. But Lori remained, watching him closely.

Jim had closed his eyes when they started moving him around, closing off some of the pain he hoped. It hadn't worked. His shoulder felt like it was on fire. Realizing that he was still now, he let his eyes flutter open. As they did they focused on Lori. He'd seen to look of shock on her face when she realized who was in the back of the bus. She was still wearing a look of absolute terror. Reaching up, he pulled the oxygen mask from his face. "Lori," he croaked.

The sound of his voice unnerved her but also propelled her into action. "Jim, you've been shot. We'll need to get some x-rays to see where the bullet is. You're probably going to need pain killers…"

He stopped her with his hand o her arm. Her eyes looked down at his bloody hand and then flashed back up, meeting his gaze. "I'll be okay," he told her softly. "It hurts like hell but I'll be okay."

Staring into his normally vibrant blue eyes, she saw two things: his eyes were taking on a gray tint and he was looking back at her with such intensity, such emotion… it frightened her.

Then he surprised her again. "I want… different doctor," he said weakly. Responding to her look of hurt and uncertainty he added, "Want you here…for me." His wink filled in the blanks for her. He knew she couldn't be his doctor and his…what? There it was again. What were they to each other? And then she remembered the day they had shared together, his warmth and tenderness, his caring. She couldn't be his doctor and his lover. He had said it wasn't a one time thing and he was saying it again. And he wanted her here as his lover more than he wanted her as a doctor. He needed her in a way she had never felt needed before. It was all so new to her and so vitally important.

""Lori?" a deep voice called from behind her.

Turning, she started to explain to Dr. Howard. "John, I need you to take this case. I can't…Jim and I are…" she trailed off, afraid to give voice to it, afraid Jim might deny it. She didn't understand why she was afraid of his reaction, except that giving voice to their relationship might jinx it.

John looked from her to the patient. "Okay, well then, let's see what I have to work with," he said as he hurried into action. "Jackie, get in here," he bellowed to the nurse in the hall.

Detective Mason and Officer Mitchell cornered Lucia Anderson two blocks away from the scene. Officer Copeland had quite accidentally stumbled on the weapon she had tossed aside in the chase. Mason called Nick Stokes who appeared to take possession of the weapon and also work the scene.

As Mitch and Mason walked the suspect past Jim's car back to PD, Nick glared at the woman. "You're going down for this lady," Nick grumbled at the smirking prisoner.

Back in the interrogation room, Mason tried to get the woman to talk but she wouldn't say anything beyond, "I want a lawyer." Finally one arrived and consulted with is client. As Mason leaned against the wall outside, he heard the attorney instruct his client as he walked away from her, "Not a word, you hear me? I'll call your family and arrange for bail funds. And I'll check on arraignment."

The attorney, Clift Ross, turned and came face to face with Mason. "Your client's not going anywhere," Mason baited the lawyer. "D.A. is all over this… a serial killer who shot a cop…senior officer at that… no way she'll see daylight this century."

"We'll see," Ross told the detective. "We'll see…"


	30. Chapter 30

Jim was in recovery after the surgery to remove the bullet. Doctor Howard had assured him it would be a relatively simple procedure and now the physician was relieved to report to Jim that it had gone smoothly. "You'll be weak for a few days… and sore. You'll need to take it easy, you lost a lot of blood but I think we've got you tanked up again," he smiled. "We'll keep you here a day or two just to be sure everything remains good and there is no infection, but you should be home in your own bed by the end of the week," he assured Jim.

"Thanks Doc," Jim said with a groggy smile. "Is um… did you see… "

Chuckling, Howard patted Jim's uninjured arm. "Lori's in the hall. I'll send her in."

"Thanks," Jim replied, relieved.

Lori paced in the hall. She knew what John had told her; surgery went well and Jim Brass would be okay if a few days. But still, she couldn't stop worrying. Finally stopping to lean against the wall, she closed her eyes and her mind went back two days. Mentally, she studied that scar on his left side, near the shoulder. She hadn't dwelled on it that day, afraid to break the spell by bringing reality into play. So she'd skimmed over it. But in her mind she could still see it. The scar in the flesh at his armpit had been an entry wound. And he'd had a tattoo put under it. She wasn't sure what that was all about. But the scar looked ugly even though it was several years old.

It had been when he rolled over that she saw the scars on his back. He'd had major surgery and judging by the placement, that surgery was a response to the first scar. It had travelled, she realized; the bullet had travelled.

Another memory tickled at the back of her mind but John walked out of recovery just as she was about to latch onto it. "Lori," John smiled, "I have a patient who would like to see you."

Lori couldn't help it, a huge smile broke onto her face. "He does?" she asked as she glanced past John into the room.

John nodded. "He's asking after you…"

But Lori didn't hear him because she bolted past in a hurry to see Jim. She stopped next to his bed, her eyes focused on him, her face giving away her eagerness to see him.

"Hey Babe," Jim croaked as he watched her watching him.

Grabbing his right hand, Lori covered it with both of hers and held it next to her heart. "You… you're really going to be okay," she stammered as a tear rolled down her face.

Jim closed his eyes and drank it all in like a man who'd been roaming the desert and found water. "Told you I'd be fine," he grumbled finally. But the smile on his lips gave away his pleasure that she cared.

Leaning over, Lori rested her lips on his, not in a deep kiss but as respite from the fear. His lips felt warm and full of life. Yes, he would be just fine. Lifting her head only slightly, their breaths intermingling just as the relief and happiness they shared. She still had his hand on her heart, holding it tightly as if she would never let go. "And I'm going to be sure you stay that way," she cooed lightly.

"You going to be my nurse?" Jim teased.

"For the next few days, I'm going to be your everything," Lori answered assuredly.

Jim felt his breath hitch at that. "Everything?" he asked huskily.

Straightening up, Lori winked. "Everything that I, as your doctor think you can handle."

Jim's answering chuckle delighted Lori to her core. Still groggy from the surgery, he let his eyes relax and close. But his smile remained fixed.

Lori was back in the ER when her cell vibrated in her jacket. Pulling it out to check the caller ID, she sighed. "Hello," she said into the phone impatiently.

She leaned against the nursed desk as she listened and then nodded. "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can get away."

An hour later, Lori Messing walked into LVPD. She was met by her attorney in the reception area. "Good that you're here," he said to her.

"Just why _am_ I here," Lori asked.

"I need your help. This one isn't going to be as easy to fix as the others."

"What did she do?" Lori asked. "And how much bail will this one be?"

"Arraignment isn't until tomorrow. She's in deep this time, Lori. She's charged with murder."

"What? " Lori exclaimed.

"To make matters worse, she shot a LVPD detective earlier."

Lori went rigid. "She…she shot at a cop? Jim Brass? He…he was at the hospital…" she said, her mind a whirl of confusion. "He…they got the bullet out."

"So, he's not dead," Clift Ross asked, obviously relieved.

"No…no, he's um… he's going to be okay. Why the hell did she shoot him?"

"Same reason she killed the others, she says. He was abusing a woman."

"What? No… wait, what woman?"

"She didn't say. Just said he deserved to die just like all the rest."

"Can I talk to her?" Lori was reeling, confusion and disbelief washing over her in waves.

"I can ask the detective in charge… maybe he'll allow it."

"The only reason he is in charge is that Jim Brass is lying in the hospital," she barked.

Ross blinked. "You know Captain Brass?"

Lori let out a long sigh. "I want to see her."

Twenty minutes later Lori Messing sat across a table from her sister. "Why Lucy?"

"Why what?" Lucia Anderson snapped at her sister.

"Why kill all those men? And why did you shoot Captain Brass?"

"You mean your lover… that one?" Lucy taunted. "Why not?" she asked petulantly. Then studying her nails, she added, "he would have hurt you too. He wasn't a nice man. I saw the way he treated you; it would have only been a matter of time…"

"He _is_ a very good man," Lori shot back.

"He's not…dead?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

"No, he isn't." Then standing, Lori moved toward the door. "But you are, to me anyway. You're on your own, Lucy. I can't keep fixing things for you and I couldn't fix this even if I wanted to."

"You're choosing him over me?" Lucy shrieked.

Her only answer was the slamming of the door.

* * *

><p>I know, these are coming in little shorties right now. That seems to be the way things are happening in my head though, so that's just the way it is;-) More to come soon! You guys are so supportive it just keeps me going.<p> 


	31. Chapter 31

Lori cried all the way back to the hospital. Her sister, her baby sister was the one Jim had been trying to find for days, a killer who almost killed him. How was she going to explain it all to him? How could she explain what she didn't understand herself? "Maybe we _are_ all crazy," she cried aloud as she thought of her family. "He'll never want anymore to do with me and I don't blame him."

As she drove, her mind replayed images of her sister from the time she was born, flipping through happy moments, family gatherings, and some really loud shouting matches as the sisters fought. But they had grown close as they got older. After Lori was old enough to drive, she drove Lucy everywhere, knew all her friends, and all her secrets. The kidnapping had changed so much for both of them. Lucy had been forced to watch as Jessup mauled and berated Lori. he'd tied Lucy to a chair in the room to witness his abuse of her sister time and again after his ransom demands were made. Their father was not a man to be pushed around and he'd made a few demands of his own, angering Jessup. Once the FBI was involved, Jessup grew even more hostile and the end of that phone call was the beginning of the real horror for Lori. And Lucy had been made to watch it all, helpless in the chair at the end of the bed while Jessup unleashed his fury time and again on Lori.

Lori had seen the fear in her sister's eyes and when she saw Jessup turn towrd Lucy, his intent clearly written on his face, Lori did the only thing she could think of to deter him; she taunted him. It worked. He turned his fury on Lori again, leaving Lucy alone. After that, everything was a fog in Lori's mind. The FBI found them a few hours later and Lucy was safe. Lori spent the next few days in the hospital and weeks after that hiding in her room at home. It had taken years of therapy to undo the damage that the kidnapping had inflicted.

But Lucy had therapy too. Lori couldn't understand why it had helped her and Lucy was left so broken, so misguided...so evil.

Jim was asleep when she walked into his room. Quietly, she settled into a chair near his bed, content to watch the rise and fall of his chest. Her eyes flickered to the monitor, quietly registering numbers and graphs behind his bed. Everything looked good. He was safe and she could relax; except she couldn't, not with the knowledge of what her sister had done. Why would he want her now, she asked herself over and over. How could he ever look at her the same? Her family was crazy, her sister a murderer who had tried to kill him.

It all hurt so much. Lucy's killing spree was dredging up all the feelings that Lori thought she had put to rest years ago. But what made her heart tighten the most was knowing how close she had come with this man, what might have been…

Jim felt her presence in the room when he woke. He looked around until he saw her standing in front of the window with her arms crossed, looking out. "Lori," he croaked his throat dry.

She turned hastily and Jim caught the look of desperation on her face before she was able to mask it. "You sound dry," she said with a smile that never quite reached her eyes. "Want some help with the water?" she asked, reaching for the cup of ice water the nurse had left earlier.

Jim nodded, trying to gauge her mood. He dutifully took a sip through his straw, still watching her. "What's wrong?" he finally asked as she turned to set the cup down.

Lori froze, her back to him. He watched silently as she seemed to come to a decision. His gut tightened when she turned to look at him, sadness and despair clearly etched in her face. "They um…they caught the person that shot you."

"Yeah, she was a suspect in all the murders. I had interviewed her and had to let her go; didn't have the evidence to hold her." Jim shrugged. "I don't get why she shot me though…except, you look like all the other women." He paused, watching her contemplatively. "She had pictures… you and me… she'd been watching us for awhile. I guess she thought we…" he shrugged, unsure about how to define them.

Lori blanched. "She did. She said…," Lori swallowed as tears gathered in her eyes. "She said you would have hurt me…that you…that…" she fought back a sob and fiercely swiped at the tears that were working down her face.

The drugs that were controlling his pain also kept his anger at bay. Still, he didn't understand. Jim cocked his head. "You talked to her?"

"Um…yeah. I went after I left you in recovery. I got a call and…"

"_You_ got a call? Who called you…and why?" Jim asked in a sea of confusion, his mind muddled.

"Um…my attorney…he called. He was at the police station with my sister and he…"

"Your sister?' And then enlightenment dawned in Jim's features. "Your sister…Lucia Anderson is your sister?"

Biting her lower lip, Lori was afraid to speak. All she could do was nod.

Jim looked at her long and hard, disbelief radiating from him. His blue eyes studied her face, took in her posture, deciphered her body language, and then settled on her downcast, tear filled orbs. "Lori…" he said meekly, tentatively. Bafflement rippled through him along with resentment. But he quickly reminded himself that Lori didn't know…at least, he didn't think she knew.

She winced and closed her eyes, her chest heaving as she fought back another sob.

"Look at me Babe," Jim softly commanded. All of his instincts were telling him that she was as upset about this as he was, maybe more.

Slowly her lids opened and her eyes settled on his face. She looked like a scared rabbit, he thought; ready to speed away at the first wrong move on his part. "Honey, I don't know what the whole story is but please… "

She gasped. "Please what? Please go away," she cried.

"No…no, I don't want you to go away. I'm…this is a lot to take in but…I want you to stay. Please, promise me you'll stay until we can sort this out?"

Hesitantly, she nodded in agreement.

"And one more thing," he added.

She looked at him uncertainly.

"Quit blaming yourself for what your sister did." He said gently.

Tear began to flow freely from her eyes then. How could he be so calm? How could he even want to look at her, much less have her around? How could she feel so miserable and so happy at the same time?

Watching her, Jim concluded with certainty that she really hadn't suspected her sister in any of it. "Come here," he said as he patted the side of his bed.

Tenderly she settled where he indicated, her face still downcast. He reached over and lifted her chin with his fingertips, tilting her face so that he could see her eyes. Neither said a word as their eyes locked but there was plenty of communicating. Slowly her tears quieted as a seed of hope was planted in her soul.

"I know you said we aren't ready for the words, Jim. But I…I think I'm …"

The corners of Jim's eyes crinkled as he began to understand what she was saying. A faint smile formed on his lips as his eyes lit and twinkled. But she was cut short by the door opening and Doc and Judy entering.

"We heard what happened," Doc announced.

"Yeah," Jim replied, letting his hand drop from Lori's face to take possession of her hand.

* * *

><p>More coming...<p>

There are rumors that the fanfic police are out hunting down naughty stories and making them go away. So if several of my stories disappear, we'll know what happened. That includes this one:-0

In the meantime, they do still have that nifty little button down there;-)

Okay, back to the typing...


	32. Chapter 32

Lori sat mutely as the Robbins visited and Jim assured them he was fine. Her mind was whirling, spinning and replaying the conversation that had been cut short. What was he would he say if she had completed her sentence, if the Robbins hadn't arrived? Why wasn't he angry at her ... about what her sister did? Jim as not an easy man, she knew. And forgiveness wasn't something he gave easily. Nor did he trust easily. Yet he had opened himself to her when he came to her needing a friendly face, as he put it. As if he sensed her thoughts, she felt a squeeze on her hand, a squeeze from him, one of reassurance even as he listened to Doc and Judy. Lori looked down at his hand covering hers and then lifted her eyes back to his face.

_He does have the face of a bulldog, _she thought_. A little jowly, a lot determined…even stubborn. _She studied his features, a nose that had been in at least one too many fights, his sturdy chin despite the work of gravity, the crows feet at his eyes, the permanent furrows between his eyebrows, and those prominent eyebrows. His hair was thinning but what he had was fine and graying. She knew he was working to find a satisfactory length for it because she'd seen him with it cut at different lengths since she first met him; she preferred it a little longer than he had it now. He wasn't a handsome man by the strictest standards but to her he was. She watched his blue eyes flicker between Al and Judy, his intelligence showing through them. Suddenly she wanted her friends to leave. Suddenly, she was desperate to be alone with him, to try again to tell him her feelings… to hear his response. But she was scared too. What if….no, she wouldn't allow herself to think that.

Once again she marveled at how much her initial intrigue had grown into this, whatever this was. She'd been on the verge of declaring it love when the Robbins had shown up. Yes, she was afraid and yes, she knew she was opening herself to pain if he rejected her. _But this is Vegas_, she thought, _and he is worth the gamble_. As she watched his face, she felt a shift within her. _And I've never felt this good about anything in my life. I will do whatever I need to do, but this is going to work. I do love him._

Finally Al and Judy left. Lori smiled as they left and turned her attention back to Jim, who was watching her expectantly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then started to speak. "Jim, I know everything is a mess. I mean, my sister just shot you and…and that… I mean, I wouldn't blame you if…"

Jim raised his hand back to her face, gently covering her lips with his forefinger, his dark blue eyes searching hers, calming her nerves. "Leave your sister out of this. What she did...she did it, not you. What's between me and you has nothing to do with her."

Inside, she turned to jelly. "But how can you…I mean, if someone from your family hurt me, I'd…"

"You'd what?" he asked calmly. "You'd blame me? I don't think so." He smiled reassuringly. "She's in custody and I'm going to be okay. Case closed. The D.A. will do what he needs to do and there will be a trial, but none of that has to do with us."

"But…"

Jim shook his head. "Don't go there; just stop thinking whatever it is you're thinking."

Lori blinked. "Even if what I'm thinking, what I'm trying to get to is … that I love you."

Everything seemed to stop in Jim's mind. The room blurred and all he could see were her light eyes watching him, waiting for his response. He had known this was coming and now he couldn't answer; he couldn't process a response. He'd decided long ago that love just wasn't in the cards for him. But as he peered into her eyes he saw she was sincere. She looked so hopeful but as the seconds ticked by, her expression was slowly changing to fear and despair. He felt a tickle in his brain, a voice telling him to reply. Stumbling for words, he tried. "Lori," he managed…

His hesitation frightened Lori. Inside her head, thoughts were spinning, whirling so fast and so muddled that she didn't hear him when he did try to speak. Tears began to roll down her face again as panic set in. He didn't want to hear what she said, he didn't feel the same… her baggage was too much for him. And so, no sooner than he had uttered her name, she sped out of the room sobbing.

"Oh hell!" Jim exclaimed as he watched her flee. He started to shuffle to the edge of the bed in an attempt to follow her but the combination of drugs and recent trauma to his body conspired to stop him, his head spinning crazily. Angrily he pushed the call button and waited impatiently for someone to come.

"Yes?" a male nurse replied over the speaker.

"I need help…I need to get out of this bed," Jim barked.

He heard the sigh form the voice. "I'll be right there."

A minute later the voice preceded the nurse into his room. "Captain Brass, you can't get up yet. If you need a bedpan…"

"No I don't need a fu…" Jim sighed, getting angry at the nurse wasn't going to help. "No. I um…Dr. Messing just left and I need to find her."

"Dr. Messing? Oh yeah, I saw her head to the elevators. She's gone, man. I can call her service if there's something you need. But I thought Dr. Winston was your surgeon and Dr. Howard was your attending?

"Yeah, yeah…Dr. Messing is my…friend. And she was upset. I …I wanted to catch her…explain."

The nurse… Chris, Jim read on his nametag, suddenly seemed to understand. "Ohhh, right. Okay. Well, I can call her service and leave a message for her to come back."

"Yeah. Thanks," Jim replied, settling back into his pillows. "Guess that'll have to be good enough."

"Yes. You aren't ready to get out of that bed just yet. Probably tomorrow they'll come get you up, but not today."

Surrendering to the inevitable, Jim grunted. "Tomorrow might be too late…" he mumbled as Chris retreated.

* * *

><p>This one was kind of short, I know. I was in a minor wreck over the weekend and my hand is kind of messed up. Right now it is in a splint until the swelling goes down and they can tell what's wrong with it. Anyway, I'm challenged enough with typing when both hands work, but this one handed typing thing is a biotch, lol. I have more typed but in serious need of a proofread. I'll try to get it posted later this week. I should be able to proof with one hand, right? But after that, it may be awhile... Thanks for continuing to read. I do so love to hear your thoughts on my stories.<p> 


	33. Chapter 33

Lori reached the ground floor and bolted out of the elevator. Fighting to keep her emotions under control until she could find a safe place to let it all out, she headed for her car. Once inside, the doors closed, and no one around, she let it out; the fear, the anger, the hurt, and the despair. She thought of her sister, Lucy. How had things gotten that bad with her? Lori knew Lucy had not ever quite gotten over their shared experience but Lori had no idea that Lucy was that far gone…not until now. It hurt knowing her baby sister was lost to her now, along with Larry. She was truly on her own. Except for Jim… That thought sent her into a renewed sense of loss. Tears flowed freely as she thought about him. She'd gambled and she had lost. She'd told him how she felt and he'd just stared at her.

Trying to quite her crying, she forced her mind to replay the scene. Inwardly she studied his face. He didn't seem upset…or surprised either. He just stared at her, his eyes not showing any clues about what he was thinking until the end when panic had begun to set in. She'd seen it clearly in his face, his eyes in turmoil as his jaw set and his face froze. She loved him and he didn't love her….didn't even seem to want her love.

Mentally shaking herself, she reflected back to their day together, not so long ago. _But he came to me…he said he needed me… But he didn't need _me_, any woman would have been alright…And after that… after I …we…" _Anger began to creep into her consciousness_. I turned my back on my sister for him, she fumed. _

Lori sat in her car staring across the parking garage, trying to accept it all, when her phone rang. Realizing that it was her service, she answered.

"Dr. Messing, we have a message from the nurse on the medical floor. You are needed back immediately for a patient."

"What? I don't have a patient on that floor," Lori replied. And then she realized who the patient was. The nurse was calling on Jim's behalf. "Um…right, I'll head back," she spoke into the phone. He wanted her back? She sighed in disbelief. Briefly she considered that he wanted her back so he could tell her what a mess she was, she and her family. But she shook it off; he wouldn't do that. So why? Why did he want her to come back?

She didn't need to look in a mirror to know there were telltale signs of her tears, but she glanced in the rearview mirror anyway. Quickly, she tried to adjust her make-up. A splash of cold water on her eyes in the bathroom would have to do but she knew it wouldn't help much. Gathering her courage, she climbed out of her car and headed back.

Jim was nervous. She had run out so abruptly. If only she'd waited, given him time to respond. _But she did give you time, dumbass_, he thought_. You froze. You knew it was coming but you still froze_. Cursing himself, it was all he could do to remain in the bed. _How long's it been since anyone loved you, asshole? And what do you do with that, huh? You got a chance at something here and you're blowing it. So what do you tell her when she shows up again…if she shows up again…_

Staring at the ceiling, Jim didn't see Lori when she appeared in his doorway. She watched his face as he berated himself, saw when disparagement sank into his features, and caught the deep breath he took and released. "Damn," she heard him mutter.

Hesitantly, she stepped into the room. "Jim?" she said meekly.

His head turned and his eyes locked onto her instantly. The look of relief that washed over him was unmistakable. It was as if the world froze, the only motion the rising and falling of their chests with each breath. Inside his head, Jim was screaming at himself, _say something…_But his mouth wouldn't move.

"You called?" she finally managed.

Such a simple question, an innocent one; but for Jim Brass it was a catalyst, sparking him into action. "Yeah," he replied. "You left before I could …" _before what?_ "Before I had a chance to …to…" He watched her warily; worried that she would flee again before he could get anything said. "It's just… I wasn't ready to …I mean, it's been a long time since…" he sighed, wondering what was going through her mind. _Hell, I can't seem to get a hold of what's going through my mind, _he groused inwardly. "Lori, what you said..."

As she stood listening, her own mind a whirlwind, Lori tried to understand what he was trying to say, but since she was in her won panic mode, she wasn't grasping his threads. "Jim…I'm sorry," stumbled out just as he seemed to gather his wits.

Her words stopped him cold. "You're…sorry?" His insides were tumbling. _You blew it you dumb shit…you messed it all up and you blew it."_

"I know you aren't ready…for that discussion. I knew it when I said it but after everything that happened, I was so upset and the only thing that was clear to me was…is…that I love you."

He studied her face momentarily. She was scared, he thought…but determined. And she was being honest with him, laying it out there, and opening herself up to him. She deserved his honesty too, he concluded. "Baby, I'm glad something is clear to you. Right now, I'm not sure about anything. …don't know if it's getting shot again or the meds or just that I've taken too many shots to the head, but nothing is clear to me … except that …"

She looked up at him sharply, hope glistening in her eyes. "What?" she whispered apprehensively.

"You're giving me a chance I haven't had in a long, long time. And I'd be a fool not to grab hold and see where it might lead. But I can't say what you want me to say, Lori. I'm too dug in…have too many sucker punches behind me to jump in like that. I gave up on all that a long time ago…love and happily ever after, I mean. I decided a long time ago that it doesn't exist for most people." He shrugged, "I guess I've been to a few too many crime scenes where it was a crime of passion." Pausing, he tilted his head slightly. "It's not that I don't want it; it just hasn't been in the cards for me. But if you can be patient with me, I'd like to give things a shot… see if maybe one day I can say those words to you …say 'em and mean 'em."

Overwhelmed by the gamut of emotions she'd been through in the last few hours, Lori let out a long, deep breath. "I can do that," she said quietly. "But you have to understand…patience isn't something I do well," she smiled.

His eyes lighting, Jim watched her. Slowly a small smile crept into his features. "I get it; I don't do patience either," he said with a wink.

When Jim was released, Lori took him home… to her house.

"You sure about this?" he asked as they pulled into her driveway.

"It'll be easier here," she answered as she nodded her head. "And I did tell you I was going to be your nurse until you're better."

Jim chuckled. "No, I think you're exact words were that you would be my everything," he teased.

"Yeah, well… I don't think you're quite ready for that yet," she shot back.

Giving her an appraising once over, Jim grunted. "I might surprise you, Babe."

Lori tuned off the ignition of the car and looked at him, not missing his salacious expression. "Nope. This time I'm holding out for that dinner you promised me," she replied.

Jim ran his right hand over the back of his head, assuming a contemplative look before answering her taunt."You really know how to make a guy squirm; you know that , don't ya?"

"Nope, just trying to give you some incentive to heal quickly," she teased.

As Jim watched her get out and come around the car to his side to help him out, he realized her little incentive was working.

* * *

><p>I'm sorry if there are any typos; I really tried to catch them all but I'm sure I missed some. The swelling finally went down in my hand and wrist and now I'm sporting this lovely purple cast from my elbow to almost the finger tips. So my left hand is kind of useless right now unless I want to knock somebody's block off, lol. With luck I only have to wear it ten days to two weeks. Then I get a different one but at least I'll get my fingers back;-) Seems I broke it just below where I broke the wrist several years ago and managed to sprain my thumb too. So anyway, the story will be on pause for a little while but I promise I'll come back and finsih. I have a very rough draft but there's just too much left to do to make it good for me to tackle it right now. I will still be reading stories though. And please, let me know what you're thinking about this one!<p> 


	34. Chapter 34

I have a new cast. This one gave me my fingers back...well, sort of anyway. Oddly enough it is the sprained thumb that is giving me the most grief. Anyway, the doctor says everything looks good so far. Thanks to all who expressed worry. I really appreciate your concern.

So here's the next installment. I hope it was worth the wait. They've made reviewing so much simplier. give it a try;-)

* * *

><p>As they walked together into her house, Jim picked up the conversation. "So you're saying I take you out to dinner and then you feed me dessert after?"<p>

"Nope," she shot back with twinkling eyes. "That won't work," she continued, her eyes raking over his torso. "I want dessert too."

Despite a sore shoulder and the pain meds to help, Jim felt his body responding to her innuendo. Matching the hungry look in her eyes with one of his own, he smirked. "Tomorrow night then," he tossed out to her.

She looked at him quizzically. "Tomorrow night? You sure…you're just out of the hospital…"

His own eyes twinkling, Jim looked at her disbelievingly. "Babe, you really think I'm going to be able to keep my hands off you any longer than that? What? You trying to give me a heart attack or something, 'cause the way things are going my blood pressure's gotta be high. In fact, why don't you check it for me?"

"You want me to check your blood pressure?" she asked dubiously.

"Yeah," he grinned. "And then you can feel my pulse and …" he shrugged his uninjured shoulder, "play nurse. You got any of those cute little nurse's outfits… you know, the ones with the little caps and the tight skirts that barely cover…"

"You are looking for a heart attack," Lori cut him off, chuckling.

Jim stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to her. Looking into her eyes searchingly, he shook his head. "No, you just make me feel like a kid again."

Lori smiled in return. "Thank you," she replied demurely. And then glancing up the stairs, she suggested he should rest.

"Yeah, okay…I'll rest today," Jim told her as they climbed the steps. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it to be ready for our after dinner cordials tomorrow night."

Jim did take Lori to dinner. The conversation stretched into the early morning and they returned to her house. Tiredness caught up with him, however, and he fell asleep on her couch, where they'd continued the conversation. Lori snuggled next to him, enjoying a happiness that stretched into breakfast. She told him that she wanted to see where he lived, so he took her to his house for lunch…and a little afternoon delight.

Her bones turned to jelly, the feel of him creating an intense pleasure so great that it weakened her making it impossible to stifle the moan of sheer joy that escaped. She felt him pause, his motion stilled by her utterance of his name. It was too intense, his filling of her, and she was on overload. It wasn't that they hadn't done this before but now… on this day, it was so powerful. She could feel his indecision, his befuddlement over her reaction to him. But she couldn't speak to answer his unasked question. So she simply pulled him to her again, her hands pressing her case, demanding that he go deeper. The resulting shudder that ripped through her forced another soft scream of his name, this time comparing him to the deities.

"That's it Baby," she heard him grunt. She knew the effect she was having on him and felt it as his pace quickened. Everything felt so extreme, so urgent… so extraordinary.

Her nails dug into him as another shudder racked through her and she felt release coming. He was close as well, she could tell. And she tired to hold on, she really did. But he was too good, too sensual, just too much for her and the ecstasy had to escape. So in an explosion of uncontrollable shudders and shakes, she flew over the precipice into blissful oblivion, her body no longer her own but now his and he knew exactly what to do with it. His response was an eruption of his own that was equally out of his control. And it was all so beautiful, she thought; so wonderfully, excitingly, blissful that she knew she would never have enough. And as he settled next to her on his bed, she was already contemplating more.

She felt his hand cover her stomach, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her still sensitive skin. And as she lay there next to him, she realized she had never in her life been this happy, felt this satisfied and hopeful. Rolling to her side, she peered into his face taking in his gentle smile and relaxed features. She had done that for him, given him that …that peace and suddenly she was overwhelmed with other emotions. Losing herself in his dark blue eyes, she was suddenly afraid. What if….no she couldn't let herself think it. But internally, she knew this was the best….she would never have a feeling like this again.

Sensing her changing emotions, Jim frowned. "What's wrong, Babe?" he asked softly.

"Nothing," she smiled. "Nothing's wrong; it's just…." she sighed, "too right. Nothing will ever be this good again."

Relaxing, he grinned at her. "Yeah it will. Just wait 'til my shoulder's all healed. It'll be even better," he winked.

She curled into him, breathing in his scent and basking in his warmth. "What were you like as a little boy?" she wanted to know.

Jim guffawed. "Where did that come from?"

"Your eyes just now," she replied. "Usually you there is an aura of cynicism, but just then, I think that was a glimpse of the little boy in you."

Jim took a deep breath before answering. "I don't remember much about when I was a little boy except that I was always getting into trouble. So I doubt I ever looked innocent."

Lori detected the trace of sadness in his voice but decided not to pursue his comment at the moment. Instead, she nuzzled into his neck, his stubble scratching against her face. "Well, I think you must have been a cute little fellow," she teased. "I know I wouldn't have been able to resist you….but of course, I can't now either."

He pulled her closer and gently kissed the top of her head, too overcome with conflicting emotions to offer any other response.

They had a late dinner at a bistro off the strip. And then he took her home, where they enjoyed dessert.

He woke the next morning to her curled next to him, relaxed but awake. "I could get used to this," she murmured as she realized he was awake.

"Yeah?" he asked, a little surprised at how comfortable this felt to him as well.

"Yeah." She replied as she snuggled closer to him. "In fact, lying here next to you like this…it's… well, it is the safest I ever remember feeling; safe and warm and…happy."

Jim's eyes narrowed, worry creeping into his contentment. He was happy too, he realized; happier than he'd been in years. It was a quiet happy, the kind that stays with a guy, if he didn't do something stupid to spoil it. _And you're not going to do anything stupid, _he assured himself as he pulled her tighter to him.

His fingers played in her hair as she rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. He thought about what she'd said, about feeling safe and happy. As he realized that he was feeling much the same, warmth spread through him. Closing his eyes and opening himself to the sensation of them together like this, of her, another realization crept over him.

"Lori," he said softly.

Lifting her head, she turned to look at him, her eyes caught in a color somewhere between blue and green. "Jim?" she purred.

"Nothing," he replied hesitantly, her accepting gaze too much for him. A small grin quirked at the corner of her mouth as she began to lower her head again. "It's just…I just wanted to tell you… I love you," he whispered into her hair. A gentle, feather-like kiss to his shoulder told him that she'd heard and a inner quiet settled over him; a peace that he couldn't remember ever having felt before.


	35. Chapter 35

It was six months before Lucy went to trial. Jim's shoulder had healed, the only evidence of his injury being a scar that matched the one on his right shoulder. Lori had scowled when he'd suggested that he should get a tattoo under the new scar so that they would really match. Consequently, there was no matching tat.

Jim was scheduled to testify and he was tense. He knew that Lori was feeling torn, even though she had clearly chosen him over her sister. He'd even suggested that she provide an attorney to defend Lucy. The look of relief on Lori's face after that conversation told Jim he had done the right thing. Lucy would get what she deserved in any case. Once the puzzle pieces had begun to fall into place, Nick and Mason had an easy time building a very solid case. Jim's only concern was how Lori was handling it all.

Even though they weren't officially living together, in essence that was exactly what had evolved over the elapsed time. She still had her job and responsibilities and of course, he still had his. But they spent every moment together that they could and Jim was hopelessly and ecstatically smitten, so much so that he was planning to ask a very important question after the dark cloud of Lucy's trial had passed.

The night before the opening arguments, they stayed at Jim's. He cooked for her, sensing that she was far too preoccupied to find any satisfaction in the kitchen. She helped him clean up after and they settled in his living room, her with a magazine and him with a new novel.

He was only a few pages in when he felt her fingers playing on his thigh. Cutting his eyes to his side to see what she was up to, he was amused by her seeming interest in her magazine while her fingers crawled closer and closer to her goal. "Babe?"

"Hmmm…" she responded absently, feigning concentration on her article.

"You um… going to just keep reading that magazine or should I tell you a bedtime story?"

Her eyes fluttered up from the page and she smile. "Oh, I like bedtime stories," she cooed, "especially the ones with the Big Bad Wolf."

Jim chortled. "Actually, I was thinking of Beauty and the Beast," he teased.

"You going to make me your prisoner?" she asked. "Because I think I like the idea of being your captive…You've already captured my heart," she said lightly as her hand began to get more personal.

Glancing down at her hand's progress, Jim quipped. "Seems to me you're the one doing all the capturing."

They didn't make it to his bedroom, electing to stay on the sofa instead as she did indeed capture Jim. He made it his mission to keep her distracted, keep her mind off of the trial that would begin the next day. The distraction wasn't hurting him any either.

As they cuddled on the sofa in the afterglow of love making, Lori leaned up on her elbow and looked into his sated, heavy lidded eyes. Worry crossed her features as she seemed to study his face. "You do know," she finally spoke, "that I'm only doing what I'm doing for Lucy because she's my sister and she doesn't have anyone else, don't you?"

Looking into her worried eyes, Jim nodded seriously. "I know. And I'm glad you are helping her. She'll go to prison for what she did, Lori. But if you hadn't tried to help her, you'd punish yourself and you don't deserve that grief. Besides, that would be the end of us and _I _don't want that. It isn't in you to turn your back on her."

Lori smiled as she cuddled back into him. "I know you think you're the Beast, but you'll always be my Prince Charming," she mumbled sleepily.

Jim wasn't allowed in the courtroom since he was a witness. He was relieved when Judy Robbins showed up to sit in court with Lori. She needed somebody, he knew, if she was going to make it through the procedure.

He wasn't called to testify until the second day. He had finished his testimony and was just past the Prosecutor's table when he heard a commotion to his right. Looking in the direction of the Defendant's table he saw the bailiff going down and Lucy pulling his weapon from its holster. Jim charged through the railing that separated the visitor's gallery from the tables, headed towards Lori, all the while pulling his own service weapon. Trying to watch Lucy and push Lori down divided his attention but he focused on Lucy when he saw her pointing the gun at him. Seeing the look in her eye, he knew she meant to pull the trigger. The bailiff was recovering but by then Lucy had stepped away from him, so there was no way he could get to her in time to help. Others had stepped in but were too far away. It was on him, Jim realized.

Lucy aimed and tightened her grip on the weapon. Jim raised his to fire when suddenly he realized she wasn't aiming at him anymore. She was aiming at Lori. Panic flooded through him as he pulled his trigger, emptying his clip into Lucy, only a fraction of a second after she had pulled hers. He saw her go down and turned to check on Lori, trusting the bailiff could take things from there with Lucy.

Adrenaline ebbed away and the sight of Lori's blood, so much blood already, turned his legs to jelly. Kneeling next to her, terror took hold. "Oh Baby….no, Baby…..you gotta stay with me Babe," he cried as a horrified Judy cradled Lori's head.

Lori tried to reach for him but missed. Jim caught her hand and held it against his chest with both of his. "Baby…" he cried again. But he knew as he looked into her eyes that her life was fading away. He heard people calling for help, dialing 911 or yelling into the hallway. He heard the sirens as help arrived. But he remained focused on one thing, Lori. Grasping at any hope, he held her gaze, talking to her, encouraging her, coaxing her to hang on. But he knew it was no good and his chest filled with pain as he watched life drain from her eyes. And then she was gone…

Jim didn't remember much after that. Everything was a blur. The paramedics arrived and declared that both women were dead. CSI arrived to investigate as did IA. He vaguely remembered Ecklie somewhere in the mix. And as David Phillips took Lori away, Al Robbins arrived and tried to comfort Jim. But Jim was too shocked, too empty to feel any comfort. Finally it was Nick Stokes that drove him home.

Nick walked into the house with him, asked if he needed anything or if Jim wanted him to stay for awhile. Jim nodded his shook his head "no" numbly and after Nick left, quietly closing the door behind him, Jim turned and looked around the room. His eyes settled on the sofa where just the other night they had made love and as the memories flooded back, he collapsed to the floor, broken.

Two days later Jim Brass dressed in his nicest dark blue suit and took a cab to the funeral home. He asked the funeral director for a moment alone with her and the man complied. Once they were alone, he reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved the ring he'd bought just a few days before. Reaching across the casket, he lifted her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "You'll always be my beauty," he whispered. Al and Judy sat next to him at the funeral but he was oblivious. His entire being was focused on the dark wooden casket. And in the cemetery he insisted on staying as she was lowered into the ground. Al and Judy drove him home and as soon as they left, he got in his car and drove back to the cemetery. They had covered her by then and he settled on the grass next to her patch of dirt. And for the first time since she'd left him, he began to cry.

A month later, everything seemed back to normal. Jim Brass was full of his usual quips and when he wasn't making wisecracks, he was cantankerous. But those who knew him well saw a difference and it worried them. Finally one night, D.B. Russell was looking for him to compare notes on a case they'd been working. No one seemed to know where he was. Frustrated, Russell headed toward the morgue to check some details with Doc Robbins.

"You seem frustrated," Doc said as they finished the discussion about C.O.D.

"Yeah, I can't find Brass. He was doing some background checks and I haven't heard anything more."

"How long has he been MIA?" Doc asked.

"No one's seen him tonight."

Russell left the morgue and Doc finished the autopsy he'd begun earlier. Then pulling out his cell, he tried calling Brass but got no answer. By dawn he was worried. On his way home, he drove by the cemetery. As he had guess, there was Jim propped against the headstone, seemingly asleep. Al parked his car and shuffled over. "Russell's been looking for you," he said as he approached the detective.

When he got no response, he stepped in front of the other man and let out a deep sigh. As he took in Jim Brass' pale lifeless face, Doc Robbins pulled out his phone and called his office. After finishing the call, he leaned over and gently closed his friend's lifeless eyes.

The Coroner's Office declared the COD to be a heart attack. But Al Robbins and all that knew him well understood that they underlying cause was a broken heart. As Al and Judy drove home from his funeral, Judy sniffled. "I still can't believe it happened, " Al commented.

"If you'd seen him in that courtroom, Al, you wouldn't be so surprised. When she died, it was if she took a part of him with her. You could see the life beginning to drain out of him."

Releasing a deep breath, Al reflected. "I always knew that under that gruff exterior he had a huge heart that was capable of great love."

"Yeah," Judy smiled sadly, "Who would have thought that Brass the Bulldog could love so deeply."

"Everyone who knew him….everyone," Al concluded.

That night at the lab, Nick and Greg were working a case together. "Man," Nick drawled, "I it just feels wierd without Jimhere, you know?"

"Yeah, seems like we're the only ones left from the good ole days...us and Sara."

"We are. And for him to die like that...out there all alone."

reg stopped what he was doing and looked up at his friend. "But he wasn't alone."

"Sure he was...," Nick said, confused.

"No. You ever looked up the meaning of Lori's last name?"

"Messing? No... it has a meaning?" Nick asked.

"Yeah... it's German for Brass, so its like those two were meant for each other."

Nick looked at his friend thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, that part's right anyway," he said before turning his attention back to his scope. "So maybe you're right. Maybe he wasn't alone."

Greg looked at his friend and smiled sadly before returning to his own slides.

* * *

><p>And that's a wrap folks. Please don't throw rotten eggs at me or anything. I didn't like killing off the Brassman but it just seemed to be where the story was going. I already have other stories begging me to write them but I think I'll take a break until this cast is off... only a couple more weeks if everything is going according to plan. Meantime, let me know what you thought about this one;-)<p> 


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